Tricks Book Review!

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins introduces five teenagers: Eden, Seth, Whitney, Ginger, and Cody. Each of these teenagers struggle with themselves, as well as their families, and decide to try the world on their own. Ellen Hopkins' purpose in writing the book is that when you go at the world alone, you can end up in some serious trouble-like prostitution in which all five teens get sucked into. They don't do it on purpose, it starts out as just a way of making extra cash because their families so desperately need it, but then it becomes a lifestyle-something they can't find their way out of.

The theme of the book was choices. All five of these teenagers had a choice to either tough it out themselves, or do something a little riskier to help their situation. Eden ends up being sent to a missionary because her parents believed a demon was inside her for falling in love. Seth is gay and finally comes out to his father, and ends up being kicked out of the house. Forced to find his way out of being homeless, he found a man who needed arm candy and was willing to pay him for it. Whitney needed love, and she found it with a photographer who made her feel gorgeous in every possible way, but soon he began using her for money and Whitney began using Heroin. Ginger's story is different. Her mother was a prostitute and actually had guys pay to sleep with Ginger without Ginger knowing. Ginger got fed up and moved to Vegas with her friend Alex and started working for an escort service (aka legal prostitution). Finally, Cody. He has lived a pretty great life, until his stepfather dies and the bills start piling up and then his brother gets arrested. Cody turns to gambling first to earn a few bucks, but when that isn't enough, he goes to an escort service- the same one that Ginger goes to. These teenagers had a choice, but for them, the lines of good choices and bad choices were blurred, and they ended up in trouble. The style of the book was written in narration. I think this style is effective because it tells a story while incorporating facts as it goes.

In my opinion, I believe all Ellen Hopkins' books are fantastic, so I'm a little bias, but I really like how this book really showed the major consequences of people's actions and talked about a growing issue in the nation today that not a lot of people like to face. I didn't not like anything at all. Ellen Hopkins really hits the topics I love- and they don't involve vampires. I wouldn't change anything about this book, it is perfect the way it is and it is unlike all the other books I've read.

3 Article Summaries (:

Reading To Write Summary:
This article gives you a short-ish summary of Jane Eyre in paragraphs. In between the summaries of the book, there are examples of how to write a paragraph for each section.

Jane Eyre Summary...:
This article also gives you a short summary of the novel. It also provides some information about why Charlotte might have written what she did in the book.

Jane Eyre and History Summary:
This article gives examples of the text from the book and then provides reasoning for what that character did and why due to the historical times.

Jane Eyre Approach! Biographical...I think I spelled it right.

A: What aspects of the author's personal life are relevant to this story?
- Jane Eyre was written as an autobiography of Charlotte's life, so I think that the hardships are relevant to Jane Eyre.

B: Which of the author's stated beliefs are reflected in this work?
- One of Charlotte's beliefs that is reflected in Jane Eyre would be hope. In the story, I think Jane really clings to hope and believes that if she still has hope, than life can't be all that bad and that it will get better.

C: Does the writer challenge or support the values of her contemporaries?
- I think Charlotte supports the values of her fellow writers because she shares some of the same beliefs as they do.

D: What seems to be the author's major concerns? Do they reflect any of the writer's personal experiences?
- I believe Charlotte's major conerns would be that some people don't stand up for themselves. Jane got the courage to stand up to Mrs. Reed the day that she told Mr. Brocklehurst that she was a bad seed and needed to be watched. I think that this encounter did really happen in Charlotte's life.

E. Do any events in the story correspond to events expereienced by the author?
- I think every major event in the story corresponds to the events experienced by Charlotte in her actual life.

F. Do any of the characters in the story correspond to real people?
- I'm pretty sure that each character in the story was inspired by people in Charlotte's life.

Thesis: I believe that Jane Eyre was inspired by Charlott'es personal life since it is an autobiography; we can learn a lot from the book about that time period.

Wuthering Heights Blog #12

The conflicts in Wuthering Heights are class and revenge. Catherine loves Heathcliff, ut wants to be in a higher class and the only way she can do that is to marry Edgar. Catherine tells first tells Mrs. Dean, "'To-day, Edgar Linton asked me to marry him, and I've given him an answer. Now, before I tell you whether it was consent or denial, you tell me which it ought to be.'" (pg:77 p:4). She really cares about Mrs. Dean's opinion. When Mrs. Dean says she can't possibly have the answer Catherine says, "'I've not more business to marry Edgar Linton than I have to be in heaven; and if the wicked man in there had not brought Heathcliff so low, I shouldn't have thought of it. It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how much I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, Nelly, but because he's more myself than I am.'" (pg:80 p:5). Heathcliff plans revenge against Hindley after he humiliates him at a dinner party. Heathcliff says to Mrs. Dean, "'I'm trying to settle how Is hall pay Hindley back. I don't are how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!" (pg:60 p:2). The revenge Heathcliff seeks on his brother leads him to become cruel and full of hate.

Wuthering Heights Blog #11

The tone of Wuthering Heights is violent. Heathcliff, as well as the other characters, are violent towards one another. The violence starts out slow, beginning when Heathcliff first arrives at Wuthering Heights. Hindley would hurt Heathcliff, and in turn, Heathcliff would threaten to tell Mr. Earnshaw saying, "'You must exchange horses with me: I don't like mine; and if you won't I shall tell your father of the three thrashings you've given me t his week, and show him my arm, which is black to the shoulder.'" (pg:39 p:2). By threatening Hindley, Heathcliff usually got what he wanted. Hindley was no stranger to violence himself. When his wife, Frances, dies while giving birth to their son, Hareton, Hindley loses it. Hindley comes home drunk one night. Mrs. Dean tries to keep Hareton from seeing it, but Hindley puts a knife in her mouth. Mrs. Dean described, "He held the knife in his hand, and pushed its point between my teeth: but for my part, I was never much afraid of vagaries. I spat out, and affirmed it tasted detestable-I would not take it on my account." (pg:73 p:5). Heathcliff and Hindley were both violent people. In my example for Heathcliff, he was not physically violent towards Hindley, but was psycologically violent with his threats. Hindley was physcially violent in his example.

Wuthering Heights #10

The themes of Wuthering Heights are revenge, love, and society and class. Heathcliff seeks revenge on Hindley because of his cruelty towards him. In chapter seven Heathcliff vows, "'I'm trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don't care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!'" (pg:60 p:1) after Hindley repeatedly insults him and sends him to his room. Love is a major theme in Wuthering Heights, even though it's a little bit twisted. Catherine claims to love Edgar, but not in the way she loves Heathcliff-it's different. She says to Mrs. Dean, "'Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He's always, always, in my mind: not as a pleasure, any more than I am always a pleasure to myself, but as my own being." (pg:82 p:1). The third theme in Wuthering Heights is society and class. Catherine marries Edgar just so she can get a leg up in the society as well as in class. Heathcliff is included. He is descriminated against because he is not like the rest of the people in Wuthering Heights. It only gets worse when Mr. Earnshaw dies and Hindley demotes Heathcliff to a farmhand.

Wuthering Heights Blog #9

The characters in Wuthering Heights are Heathcliff, Catherine Earnshaw Linton, Hindley Earnshaw, Hareton Earnshaw, Catherine Linton Heathcliff, Edgar Linton, Isabella Linton, Mrs. Dean, Lockwood, Joseph, Frances Earnshaw, Mr. Green, Dr. Kenneth, and Zillah. Heathcliff is the main character in Wuthering Heights. He was adopted by Mr. Earnshaw and suffered abuse by everyone living in Wuthering Heights besides Mr. Earnshaw and Catherine. As the story goes on you see Heathcliff fall in love with Catherine and also become more violent with the passing years. Catherine Earnshaw is someone we meet in the very beginning of Wuthering Heights when Lockwood found her diary. Catherine wrote, "'An awful Sunday, I wish my father were back again. Hindley is a detestable substitute-his conduct to Heathcliff is atrocious-H. and I are going to rebel-we took our initiatory step this evening.'" (pg:20 p:2). Here, we can see the slow beginnings of the love Catherine has for Heathcliff. Hindley Earnshaw is definitely a jealous person. He doesn't like the fact that Mr. Earnshaw took in Heathcliff and loves him. As soon as Mr. Earnshaw dies, Hindley becomes the owner of Wuthering Heights and quickly demotes Heathcliff to a farmhand while Catherine is away at Thrushcross Grange. Hareton Earnshaw is the son of Hindley and Frances and once his mother dies, he becomes the target for everyone's revenge. Catherine Linton Heathcliff is the daughter of Edgar and Catherine. Their daughter grows up without a mother, but takes on someof her traits, as well as others her mother and father did not possess. Edgar Linton can be described as well-behaved and rich. Catherine marries him for the social position, not out of love. He's in love with Catherine even though she hits him. Isabella Linton is Edgar's sister who ends up marrying Heathcliff. She gets abused and often leaves Heathcliff, but always comes back. She can't stand to be away from him. Mrs. Dean was the housekeep at both Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange and she knows about both families. She tells Lockwood stories about them. Lockwood is the main narrator, but the position switches from him to Mrs. Dean. He's really here to give his take on the events that go on in Wuthering Heights. Joseph is also a servant at Wuthering Heights. He can be described as laszy and a pain to have around. Frances Earnshaw is Hindley's wife and the mother of Hareton. Her background is a mystery like Heathcliff's. She dies soon after she starts living at Wuthering Heights. Mr. Green is Edgar's lawyer. He favors Heathcliff and alters Edgars will so Heathcliff can have the property after Edgar dies. Dr. Kenneth is the doctor in Wuthering Heights. Zillah is another servant at Wuthering Heights. She helps Mrs. Dean tell the stories of the families.