SPEAK FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Marley Medina

10-30-13

 

1.  In this paragraph I will be describing an example of a time when my inner and outer voices were discording each other, or in disagreement. This occasion that I’ll be talking about in my following paragraph was actually not to long ago. I was deciding whether to try out for basketball in the winter or do another sport. I went back and forth on it for a while and I really wasn't sure what to do. My inner voice was kind of saying “don’t do it, you won’t like it, you don't even like basketball.”

When signups came around this week I ended up signing up anyway. At first after signing up I felt relieved that I wouldn't have to go back and forth in my head anymore, but also anxious because I don't know what the season is going to be like, because we haven't started our season yet. But I felt better because a lot of my friends are playing and I’ve played basketball throughout Middle and Elementary School and I'm comfortable with the sport, and who knows what I would have signed up for instead of basketball? What if I was really bad, or if I knew no one on the team? It’ll probably end up working out in the long run! Let’s just hope I made the right decision!

    2. An example of when both my inner and outer voices were in harmony and agreed with one another is one that I experience actually quite often. It really bothers me when people say someone is or is acting like a retard. And whenever I hear a friend or anyone saying it I say “I don't like that word”, or “ bad word” because to me honest I really HATE that word. It bugs me everytime I hear it. My inner and outer voices are in harmony in this scenario is because in my inner voice I'm like oh my god don't say that  hate that stupid word! While my outer voice is saying “bad word”, or “I don't like that word.” So this shows that my voices are in sync. So whenever I hear that and my two voices speak out as one it makes me feel good because I know that I'm doing what I would want myself to do in that situation, and I think it’s the right thing. This is an example that I‘ve experienced and it seems to be actually frequent, when both my inner and outer voices communicated together and came out with the same answer every time.

   

   

3a.     An example in the book when it shows Melinda’s inner and outer voices are in discord was on the first day of school when Melinda’s in the cafeteria for lunch when someone pores their tray of food onto her and she runs outside and is met in the hall by Mr. Neck.

“Mr. Neck: ‘We meet again.’

ME:

Would he listen to ‘I need to go home and change,’ or ‘Did you see what that bozo did?’ Not a chance. I Keep my mouth shut.” (9)

This section of the story shows when her two voices are not agreeing with each other because when she is talking to him in the hall her inner voice wants to come back at him and explain why she’s in the hall, and her outer voices doesn't say a word.

   

ORA Book Review

Marley Medina

10-24-13

“ A Child Called It”

A Child Called It by Dave Pelzer. Omaha Press, 1993.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Biography

1. Pelzer A Child Called It gave a future to a childhood lost.

2.First Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

4. Dave Pelzer’s chilling childhood story tells us what it felt like living in his shoes as he grew up in a nightmare. His troubled mother tortures, starves, and beats him in the story, while his cowardly father just stood there and watched his son being abused. The book takes place in California and was in fact recorded as one of the most severe child abuse cases in California. In a smaller picture the story was placed in Dave’s childhood home, and his school. His school plays a huge part in his life because school teachers and officials removed him from his situation and reported the abuse. Also what kept Dave from “giving up” was his motivation and hope that one day he’ll have a family that loves him.

5. “Once this book was in my hands, I couldn’t put it down. This is the best book on the subject of child abuse I have ever read. As the reader moves with Dave through fear, isolation, pain and rage to eventual hope, the dark world of the abused child becomes painfully clear. We become aware of the child’s cry through David’s eyes, ears and body. A Child Called It made me want to hold my family close to my heart and cherish our love.”

-Valerie Bivens, Social Worker

Child Protective Services

The State Of California

6. Though I have not read any other books from this author, I would like to continue the series. I like how Pelzer told his own story because that’s how the reader knows all the information that the author provides you is true and as detailed as possible. I also enjoy how the writing style is very vivid and descriptive and even though at points in the story you wanted to erase images from your memory it helps the reader create images to help the reader.

7. “ Finally i told myself. “You cry, you die. Now, take care of the wound.”

(pg.97)

8. as a child I felt that it can be hard to care for myself at times, and I don’t have abusive parents. That’s why Dave really inspired me, because he took care of himself and fought for survival with brutal beatings and days without food. And i’m just glad that in the end he didn’t let his mother win.

8. I give A Child Called It ( 4 paws) = Pounce On It!

ARCANE

SPEAK REFLECTIVE READING QUIZ

• Lonely
• Lost
• Arcane
• Clandestine
• Insecure

2. I chose the word lonely for Melinda because she really has no friends she is going through High School alone. But, she really doesn’t want to have friends she likes to be alone.

I also chose Lost because she doesn’t know what to do tell everyone the truth about that party. Or, when she’s in the cafeteria she doesn’t know who to sit with or really what to do.

Arcane is a word that describes Melinda because it means secret, known only by few. And, Melinda makes sure of that she is not known by a lot of people she would rather be by herself.

My next word was clandestine and it means secret because Melinda’s a very secretive person. For example the janitor’s closet in school she uses it as her own secret hideout where she can go to be alone, where no one else can find her, and she’s not sharing her secret about the party so her whole life at school is a secret.

And my last word was insecure because i believe the Melinda has a lot of insecurities. Like, how she thinks she has to ugliest clothes in school and she can’t draw a tree in art class.

3. ARCANE

4. Out of my five words that describe the protagonist Melinda in the book Speak i chose the word arcane. I chose this one instead of the other four because i felt it was the one that best described Melinda and who she is.  I felt that arcane best shows who Melinda as a character is because arcane mean secret, known only by few. And this is truly who Melinda is, but she doesn’t care she likes “blending into the crowd”

Examples of this shown in the story are when Melinda’s parents want her to stay after school everyday for extra help and Melinda agree’s to stay after, but not to study, Melinda is making her own personal fort in the janitor’s closet (pg. 26&). Or when she refuses to go to the homecoming pep rally until Heather makes her. She would rather spend the time out of algebra and fixing up her closet. she doesn’t want to go because she doesn’t want anyone to talk to her or sit next to her she would rather be alone in her closet (pg.26-30).