Blog Post #1 - Hangin' Out

In our novel, we have two main characters: Mark and Bryon. These boys are more than just best friends, they consider each other to be like brothers. They are so close that Bryon even says Mark has a habit of reading his mind; they're always on the same page and they think just alike. Despite their closeness, we've discussed a few small differences we've noticed between the two. If you had to choose one of these boys to hang out with, which one would it be? Mark the thief or Bryon the hustler? Type your response as a comment below this post. In your response, give at least two examples from the book to justify your choice. What information have we been given in the text that leads you to make your choice? To help frame your answer, I have provided some sentence stems to get you started. Your answer does not need to look exactly like the frame below.

If I had to hang out with one of the boys, I would choose ________ because he ________.
I know he is ________ because in the book he said/did/thought ________.
He also said/did/thought ________.

Blog Post #2 - Animal Planet

Several times throughout the book, a comparison is made between Mark and a lion. S.E. Hinton purposefully chose this animal because of the common associations most people make and the emotions evoked when thinking of a lion as an animal. Generally, we consider lions to be fierce and dangerous, even vicious at times. The descriptions she uses, like "friendly" and "innocent", give a much different perspective for readers. This animal was chosen for a specific purpose, to illustrate something about Mark as a character.

Now, imagine you are an author writing an account of your own life. What animal would you choose to use as a metaphor for who you are? Why would you choose this animal to represent you? What about this animal, and people's general ideas about this animal, can you draw connections to? What does that say about who you are as a person and what your personality is like?

THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- the associations made most often with different animals
- the emotions generally evoked from that animal
- your personality & your physical looks

Miss Ertle's Example: If I were an author writing an account of my life, I would use a black cat as a metaphor for who I am. Cats are often very friendly creatures, and as loving and playful as dogs, but only after they have gotten to know you. I, too, take some time to warm up to new people, and can often come off as shy and even standoffish at first. However, once you get to know me, I am very outgoing and have a large personality. Part of this has to do with cats aversion to change; they do not handle new environments or new people very well. Having moved so many times in just a few years, I know the struggle of adjusting to calling a new place "home." Once they're adjusted, though, cats are territorial creatures and spend time protecting their domain. I can be very protective of people I love and the things I cherish as my own. When they aren't being protective, cats spend the rest of their time playing and sleeping. I can be a very fun and outgoing person, and I love spontaneous adventure, but sometimes nothing quite beats taking a nice, long nap. =^.^=