The Hard, Cold Truth of the 16th Century

The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory: “‘I am happy for the family,’ [Anne] said. ‘I hardly ever think of you.’” (Gregory 35). After Mary and King Henry make love for the first time, Anne is clearly jealous. Anne being the oldest, more experienced and most definitely more spoiled, she insults Mary instead of congratulating her for capturing the king’s interest. When you’re the mistress of the King of England, your family moves up in the ranks; gaining more land and the respect of the King so the Boleyns are pretty ecstatic about Mary and Henry’s affair. The problem I find in the situation, however, is how much the family actually cares about Mary and her well-being. Mary is in love with Henry, plain as day, but what if she wasn’t? What if Henry was raping her and enjoying it? The family only cares about rank and their social class level so they wouldn’t take a second look at Mary’s happiness. Contributing to the unfairness, even when it is pretty bad, is that Anne is the family’s little protégé, their favorite. Anne is cunning, witty, and clever; having learned it all while she lived in France. The family uses Anne as the gas that fuels a car. Anne tells Mary what to do, and how to do it. She coaxes her sister to play hard-to-get with the King. Anne gives Mary advice on how to act when he’s with the queen, Katherine. Anne is the one having the affair with Henry it seems, with all the maneuvering she’s doing. She doesn’t do it nicely, either. Anne is not the older sister you want; harsh, sharp and unemotional when discussing Mary’s problems. Anne is very selfish and is not afraid to show it.

What We Need Most

Reading Animal Dreams, I've come to realize that Loyd and Hallie are two characters most alike, Loyd being Codi's insight once she's back in Grace, and Hallie hers in Tucson. Their likeness isn't really in their personalities, it's in their influence they have over Codi. Both provide comfort and security when Codi needs it most. When Codi first arrives in Grace, for example, Loyd holds her. It may not be the climax of the story, but it is something Codi has been longing for; someone to hold her. Also, when Codi and Carlo get back from medical school, Hallie living with them provides Codi with a sense of completion and of security. Loyd makes Codi laugh, think, and wonder about things she wasn't taught in medical school. Hallie also makes her laugh and feel important. When Hallie leaves, Codi feels insignificant and out of place. Codi, therefore, goes to Grace to find a sense of completion and family, so to speak. Loyd fills in the space that needs attention when Codi's in Grace; space no one else is able to fill. Codi is a lonely person, afraid of being happy, and only a few people can truly make her feel so. Loyd contributes when she's in Grace, and Hallie does when she's in Tucson. Therefore, Loyd and Hallie are the two characters who are most alike.

A Great and Terrible Beauty

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray tells the life of a young woman in the 19th century. Even though she struggled through the lifestyle, her perseverance and her special abilities helped her change her life and the lives of young women like herself. Gemma Doyle acts through love when she saves those like herself; stuck in a society that won’t accept women for who they are. As Gemma is trained to be a prime, porcelain doll-like woman, she breaks through the barriers and explores another side of life; one that only she can enter. She can enter another world called the Realms. Her journey through the Realms changes her; she becomes strong and independent, something most young ladies aren’t in the 19th century. In terms of agreeing and disagreeing with the thesis, obviously I’m going to agree, because it’s not only Gemma finding how strong and independent she is, it’s finding how to help others. If Twilight didn’t exist, this would be my favorite book, absolutely.

A Long Paragraph about Myself.

Even though I spend all of my time dancing and working on homework, I find I am intrigued and inspired the most when I draw and paint. Art acts as my religion, while drawing and painting act as my form of worship, of relaxation. I need a chance to relax once in a while, a chance to reflect and to restart. I need a break from my hectic schedule. Painting and drawing, I feel, serves that very purpose. My notebooks from past years are covered with little doodles and twirly-gigs, my binders labeled with big letters and pictures. I have dozens of diaries at home reserved for sketching and I've even drawn little flowers on m pants. I've recently started to tie-dye shirts and sweatshirts, finding that intriguing and inspiring as well. I've studied my mom's paintings and even some of her friend's works. I've read "How-to" books and traced famous paintings to sharpen my skills. I've also tried to copy the fashions celebrities wear, toning them down a bit, making them less "abstract" and more wearable. But when it comes right down to it, my favorite way of relaxing is picking up a paintbrush, or a pencil, and just marking up that canvas or piece of paper. Therefore, one word to describe myself would be artistic.