Literature Analysis #3

1. In the novel Looking For Alaska by John Green it introduces Miles Halter who is beginning his first year at Culver Creek High School. Miles meets his new roommate, The Colonel, who introduces him to new things like smoking and most importantly Alaska. Throughout the book these teenager are looking for "The Great Perhaps". Miles begins to fall deeply in love with Alaska but he isn't so sure if she feels the same way. Alaska, Miles and The Colonel constantly pull pranks but they want one to be a one to remember so they plan a huge prank and it all turns to the worst.

2.I would say the theme is discovering yourself. By the end of the book almost every character has figured something out about themselves because of the experiences they have been through.

3. The tone of the story mostly revolves around a tragedy but also the story contains tones of bitterness and there is a tone of hopefulness at the end of the story.

4.In the book it uses personification for example, "Bur even in the dark I could see her eyes- fierce emeralds." Also another literary element the novel uses us metaphors one example would be "Be present in this class. And then when its over, be present out there."

5. "I hated being careful too- or wanted to at least.", shoes direct characterization. Miles saying this shows he wants to change himself from being to careful because he doesn't like that trait about himself. "What you must understand about me is that I am deeply unhappy person."(Direct) In this quote it reveals that Alaska may have a personality that everyone else knows but on the inside she is unhappy."If people were rain I was drizzle and she was a hurricane."(Indirect) Pudge(Miles) says this showing that he can see people like Alaska as more than normal. It shows he can notice traits about people easily.

Jasmine Zavala

Dr.Preston

Expository Composition

1 June 2014


             Open Source Learning, what is it exactly? In the beginning of the course I had no

clue I just thought it was another project that we had to be pushed into. After awhile it became

something I began to really enjoy, collaborating with students, being able to hack the course it

gave us the ability to benefit us instead of learning out of a boring textbook that had nothing

really to offer us. Through the process of Open Source Learning it gave me a new perspective

on how a teacher actually cares and has every intention for us to succeed. Its great that Dr.Preston

gave us the the classroom instead of going by his agenda and his rules it gives us the freedom

that every class should have. I kind of get why teachers would be against the idea of letting

the students hack the course but its actually a brilliant idea! Giving the students to take matters in

their owns hands to see if they can make something out of it or not basically giving use a sense

of the real world.


Throughout the semester we got to work on our 'Masterpiece' and in decided to make my

masterpiece about the career  I want to be in which is being a CRNA. Having to do research

and getting familiar with this field gave me a stronger passion to get all my schooling done

and just having a plan where I want to see myself in the future. Working on my masterpiece

did give me the connection I really needed to push myself to where I want to be and making

it happen instead of having an idea and not acting on it. Being able to have a connection in

becoming a CRNA only makes me excited for my future and it helped me figure out that this is

actually something Im really passionate about and that realization changed my whole view on where

I see my life going.


I have always thought that English is such a boring subject that I'd never see myself liking. But

having this class really changed the way I look at english because i surprisingly liked it. My senior

year english class has probably been the best english class I've had all my high school life! And

I just find it funny because english has never been a subject that I would never see myself grown

to liking. English has always consisted of reading and writing and Ive always had struggled with

writing. I could never really had the ability to write down what i was thinking but having to

routinely write journals and doing literature analysis helped give me the stepping stones to improve

on my writing and I think Ive improved drastically. I just think its funny because I despised

reading and writing and I have grown to reading on a daily basis and loving to write all my thoughts

and opinions.


This whole week we got to present and see other peoples masterpieces, some peoples masterpieces

consisted of what they loved doing like their hobbies and such. One masterpiece that really stood

out to me would have to Shane's. His masterpiece was on his loves of music and he explained

the Flo Theory which is getting so lost in what you're doing because its what you're passionate

about. It made me realize that its crazy that sometimes you get so lost you that it just becomes so

natural. I left the same exact way when I was doing my masterpiece. Daniels and Jakes masterpieces

really caught my eye because its what they have been passionate about for so long that they want to

pursue a career in. Daniels masterpiece was about his love for cooking and he actually brought food

for us to try(which was delicious by the way) and shared his experiences at working at Rooney's

and someday opening up his own restaurant. Its just really inspiring to see other peoples passion. Jake

talked about his love for animals and how it inspired him to become a Vet. Jake shared his experiences

with working with a vet and shared some stores about the animals he helped. You can just tell that

its something they really enjoyed because just by the way they presented it and the way they came

across. Jorge's was another masterpiece that I really connected too! Jorge's masterpiece was about

breaking and hoe he got into it and his progress. His passion for breaking brought him to make

a breaking crew at Righetti. Its really moving to see that if you put your mind to it you can

accomplish anything. Chance's masterpiece was another one that I really enjoyed because it is what

he loved to do which is play baseball. He explained that he would just get so lost in baseball that it

wasn't just a game it was his life. Its just amazing to see all these masterpieces a lot of them were

really inspiring which i grew a connection with.


Its weird to consider myself as a hero but in a way I kind of am. I consider a hero as someone who

conquers obstacles without giving up and can be admired by it. And I have conquered obstacles

that I would of never thought. Beginning of senior year I had no idea what i wanted to be or where

i wanted to go. Now my senior year is ending and I figured out what exactly what i want to be

and the steps to take it. My life has been one crazy maze that i thought i would never make out but

now i have finally found the path to get out of this confusing mess and I can't wait to see what the

future has in store.