Author: averyedwards

People will not always tell you the truth. You have to realize what’s right and move on with your life. Both Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451” and “Praying” by Kesha, address this theme. In “Fahrenheit 451,” Guy Montag had been lied to his whole life by the government. He began to ask questions and realized that the truth had been hidden from him. Then he used the information he learned to help him. Similarly, in “Praying,” the speaker had been in an abusive relationship and realized that it was wrong. She used her realization to help her leave and move on. In both texts, we learn that finding the truth can help you find what’s right and help improve your situation.

In both texts, the characters deal with someone creating their pain. For Montag, it was the government, and for the speaker in “Praying,” it was her abusive boyfriend. They both realized that what they were going through was wrong, so they fought for what they believed in. Montag escaped from the government, and the character from “Praying” left her boyfriend. In the end of each text, the characters were aiming towards a better future. In “Praying,” Kesha said, ” ‘Cause you brought the flames and you put me through hell…” This explains how her boyfriend was treating her. Later, she expressed how she realized that she didn’t need that in her life and there was a better way. “And I don’t need you, I found a strength I’ve never known…” This line also gives her a sense of hope for the future in her gained strength.

Although both texts have characters who learn to move on and try to create a better life from their pain, there are differences in how they deal with it. In “Fahrenheit 451,” Montag learned that the government had lied to him and others. In a state of rage, he murdered the people that hurt him the most. Then, he ran away and escaped the city before everyone was bombed. Montag got over his past pain and never had to face it again. In contrast, in “Praying,” Kesha realized how she was wronged and dealt with it differently. She faced what was happening and began to get over it by wishing that the person who hurt her would change. The text says, “I’ll just say this is I wish you farewell…” She hopes that this person turns it around and has a better life even after he had hurt her. In a way, Kesha had turned her other cheek, while Guy Montag got revenge.

In both texts, the characters discovered that they were lied to, then used it to help them and worked on moving on. Montag from “Fahrenheit 451” ran away and killed people while the speaker in “Praying” hoped for that person to change. But, they both used their realizations to their advantage. Kesha left her abusive relationship and Montag escaped the government.

“Fahrenheit 451” is a dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury. The novel takes place in a technology crazed future that has banned books. In this twisted reality, firemen start fires in homes containing books rather than putting them out. Guy Montag, a “fireman” had lived most of his life never questioning what he was doing until he met Clarisse. Clarisse (Guy’s 17 year old neighbor) had many questions and doubts about the way things were and expressed them to Guy. This caused Guy to discover some of the secrets people had been hiding from him. His knowledge got him in trouble and he had to run from authority. During the book, Guy Montag learned to question reality and that everything is not what it seems.

From the beginning of the book, Montag did not question how things were, or if there was a better way of living. He took everything for what it was and was not optimistic about a different future. Then, he met Clarisse who expressed her opinions that Guy found were similar to his own. Her curiosity inspired Guy to think about the reality he lived in. He slowly began to ask questions and realized that he was being kept in the dark. By doing so, Guy Montag became skeptical about the rules.

On page 1, the author wrote, “With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history.” This long sentence expresses that Guy enjoyed being a fireman in the beginning of the book and it made him feel powerful. On page 9, Montag described Clarisse with a simile, “…She was like the eager watcher of a marionette show, anticipating each flicker of any eyelid… the moment before it began.” This connection is significant because it shows how Montag thinks of Clarisse. She later inspired him to be more like her and become more aware of the world around him.

In the middle of the story, Montag began asking questions and taking action to find the answers. Guy wondered why books were banned and if he had been told the whole truth. On page 34, the author wrote, “A book lit, almost obediently, like a white pigeon, in his hands, wings fluttering.” This simile is used to describe the moment when Guy steals a book and changes the whole story. On page 5, the author explains, “His hand had done it all, his hand, with a brain of its own, with a conscience and curiosity in each trembling finger, had turned thief.” Montag stole the book to see what it was about and answer his questions. It is also revealed that he already had a hidden book collection. His curiosity got the best of him and he read the books with his wife. Once he read the books, Guy realized that the government had been lying to him and books are not bad, so he reconnected with an old acquaintance and they schemed plans to answer more questions. Page 99 says, “He would be Montag-plus-Faber, fire plus water, and then, one day, after everything had mixed and simmered and worked away in silence, there would be neither fire nor water, but wine.” Because he asked questions and took action, Guy Montag got answers.

By the end, Montag learned new information about his life and it ended up helping him begin a better one. Officer Beatty, Guy’s boss knew that he broke the law and he tried to punish him by burning down his house and arresting Guy. However, when he got the chance, Guy Montag murdered his boss and ran away. The firemen sent a mechanical hound to kill him, and chased him with cameras. Page 131 says, “The helicopters were closer, a great blowing of insects to a single light source.” Ray Bradbury used personification to show the power the government had over its people. Eventually, Montag escaped with the help of Faber. He ran out of the city and encountered a group of fugitives. Pages 134/5 say, “He looked in at the great black creature without eyes or light, without shape, with only a size that went a thousand miles…” This part of the book explains how scared of the Hound Montag was and how lucky he was to escape him.

Montag joined fugitives and watched in safety as the government bombed his old city. By asking questions, the answers eventually saved Montag’s life. His new friends valued his knowledge and he became hopeful to remake the city and help any survivors of the bombing. On page 158 the author gives Montag a sense of hope by saying, “Yes, thought Montag, that’s the one I’ll save for noon, for noon…. When we reach the city.”

Some people might argue that knowing too much of the truth can hurt you. For example, Montag felt himself losing sanity when he learned so much so fast. He also read parts of a book to his neighbors who fled his house and said that they would never return; however, the information he learned eventually saved him. By getting answers to his questions, Guy was more aware that he could live a better life- and he did.

In conclusion, you have to ask questions because even if you think you already know the answers, there could be a surprising truth waiting for you to discover it. Ray Bradbury started the story off with a bland character that was living a lie until he was influenced to dig deeper. By doing this, he learned that the government was cruel. At the end of the story, Montag was an intelligent guy full of valuable information that saved his life. Gaining curiosity can drastically change a character. You have to ask questions because every thing is not always what it seems.

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel by Ray Bradbury that takes place in the future. The main character, Guy Montag, lives in a technology filled world where people do not seem to care what is happening around them, and books are forbidden. Guy lives in a neighborhood not much different from everyone else’s: basic and gloomy. The twisted reality is frighteningly similar to our own. The time that we live in now is full of new technologies, and people are slowly becoming obsessed. Will we go as far as to ban books too? Hopefully Ray wasn’t too accurate about the future.

Guy Montag is the main character in Fahrenheit 451. Guy is a fireman, but not like the ones we have today. In this futuristic novel, Guy sets fires to homes containing books. Guy has never really questioned the way his life is, or the way it should be, until he meets Clarisse. Clarisse is Guy’s new neighbor. She is “17 and crazy” as her uncle always says. Clarisse has changed Guy’s perspective on the way things are and has challenged him to try to change it. How far will Guy go to change his future?

The students attending FWCS Middle Schools in Fort Wayne, IN, begin their school days at 7:20am. Most of the students believe that this is way too early to start class. Many of these kids wake up at 6:00 or earlier to get ready for the day.

Picture this… early in the morning, in a Blackhawk classroom, you would see a lot of empty seats. This is because many students are late to their first period class. A common reason for being late is that the children just don’t have enough time in the mornings. They could wake up earlier, but for some of those kids, that means getting up at 5-5:30am! Sleepfoundation.org explains the effects starting school later, had on a school district in Minneapolis, “It also found improvement in attendance and enrollment rates, increased daytime alertness, and decreased student-reported depression.”

Christian Hernandez, an 8th grade student at Blackhawk Middle School, is very passionate about sleep. When asked about his opinion on this topic, Christian gave a very long speech about how school starting times have affected him. He believes that the school day begins to early, and because of that, he is missing out on valuable sleep. Christian continued to explain his tendency of staying up late, and want, to sleep in later. Sleepfoundation.org says, “…more mature adolescents had later circadian rhythm timing…thus, it is difficult for them to go to sleep earlier at night.” Startschoollater.net explains, “Shifts in the sleep-wake cycle at puberty mean that most adolescents get their best sleep between 11pm and 8am.” Because Christian has to ride the bus to school, he gets up at around 5:30am. This cuts into important sleep times. Christian reported feelings of stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and craziness from school. He also thinks that by starting middle school later, he could get ready for the schedule FWCS high schoolers have.

Maya Hower, an 8th grader at Blackhawk Middle School, also believes that she begins school too early. Maya said that she is tired a lot during the school day. She goes to bed around 9-10pm and wakes up at around 5-5:30am. According to startschoollater.net, Maya is only getting around 6 hours of her best sleep.

A survey of 24 middle school students that attend FWCS concludes that around 49% get 5-7 hours of sleep, 50% get 7-9 hours of sleep, and about 4% get more than 9 hours.

An anonymous FWCS middle schooler explained that they’re tired every day. The student gets around 8 1/2 hours of sleep each night, but only 7 of those hours fall in the important sleep range. This student reported feelings of depression and school-related stress. Sleepfoundation.org supports this by telling readers that a district that started school later had less student reported depression. We can only imagine the struggle to miss so much sleep, work hard at school and other activities, and be fighting depression on top of that.

A website called, “nationwidechildrens.org” explains to readers some affects sleep deprived children between the ages of 13-18 may experience. The article explains that students could experience negative impacts on mood, cognitive ability, behavior, and academic performance. The absence of sleep could cause children to partake in dangerous activities.

According to these sources, there are many reasons to push back school start times. Emma Fiess, a Blackhawk Middle School 8th grader, does wish that she could sleep in later, but is concerned about after school sports. While Maya Hower and Christian Hernandez felt like after school activities could be pushed back and adjusted, Emma thinks later times would get in the way. Sleepfoundation.org states, “Students are concerned that being in school later in the day means that it will cut into after-school jobs and other extracurricular activities.”

Later school start times could get in the way of sports and after school activities. But, some seem to think that getting better sleep and being ready for school is more important. It seems as if the empty classroom seats in the early mornings at Blackhawk Middle School could be filled, by giving students a little more time before they have to hurry to school. In the meantime, there are some ways to help students feel less tired during the day. Nationwidechilderens.org suggests maintaining a regular sleep schedule, using less technologies such as television and the radio, not oversleeping on the weekends, and avoiding caffeine, smoking, drugs and alcohol. Middle School is an important time in all children’s lives, and the time that they start their day, has a large impact on tomorrow.    

The students attending FWCS Middle Schools in Fort Wayne, IN, begin their school days at 7:20am. Most of the students believe that this is way too early to start class. Many of these kids wake up at 6:00 or earlier to get ready for the day.

Early in the morning, in a Blackhawk classroom, you would see a lot of empty seats. This is because many students are late to their first period class. A common reason for being late is that the children just don’t have enough time in the mornings. They could wake up earlier, but for some of those kids, that means getting up at 5-5:30am! Sleepfoundation.org explains the effects starting school later, had on a school district in Minneapolis, “It also found improvement in attendance and enrollment rates, increased daytime alertness, and decreased student-reported depression.”

Christian Hernandez, an 8th grade student at Blackhawk Middle School, is very passionate about sleep. When asked about his opinion on this topic, Christian gave a very long speech about how school starting times have affected him. He believes that the school day begins too early, and because of that, he is missing out on valuable sleep. Christian continued to explain his tendency of staying up late, and want, to sleep in later. Sleepfoundation.org says, “…more mature adolescents had later circadian rhythm timing…thus, it is difficult for them to go to sleep earlier at night.” Startschoollater.net explains, “Shifts in the sleep-wake cycle at puberty mean that most adolescents get their best sleep between 11pm and 8am.” Because Christian has to ride the bus to school, he gets up at around 5:30am. This cuts into important sleep times. Christian has reported feelings of stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, and craziness from school. He also thinks that by starting middle school later, he could get ready for the schedule FWCS high scholars have.

Maya Hower, an 8th grader at Blackhawk Middle School, also believes that she starts school too early. Maya said that she is tired a lot during the school day. She goes to bed around 9-10pm and wakes up at around 5-5:30am. According to startschoollater.net, Maya is only getting around 6 hours of her best sleep.

An anonymous FWCS middle scholar explained that they’re tired everyday. The student gets around 8 1/2 hours of sleep each night, but only 7 of those hours fall in the important sleep range. This student reported feelings of depression and school-related stress. Sleepfoundation.org supports this by telling readers that a district that started school later, had less student reported depression.

According to these sources, there are many reasons to push back school start times. Emma Fiess, a Blackhawk Middle School 8th grader, does wish that she could sleep in later, but is concerned about after school sports. While Maya Hower and Christian Hernandez felt like after school activities could be pushed back and adjusted, Emma thinks later times would get in the way. Sleepfoundation.org states, “Students are concerned that being in school later in the day means that it will cut into after-school jobs and other extra curricular activities.”

Later school start times could get in the way of sports and after school activities. But, many people believe that getting better sleep and being ready for school is more important. Middle School is an important time in all children’s lives, and the time they start their day, has a large impact on tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the school year begins (August 2017), an increased amount of students are walking along the sidewalk on State Street. The students are from Blackhawk Middle School, most of them going to Georgetowne Square, also along State Street. To get there, the children do not need to cross the road. However, some students have a different route, heading home instead. The students that are walking home are provided with a crossing guard to help them safely cross the busy street. But, some students prefer to run across on their own.

Concerned parents are complaining that it is unsafe for the children and the vehicles for people to be running across the road. One driver said, “I’m worried that one of the kids will get hit. Those cars do not expect children to be running in front of them.”

Eventually, one adult even yelled out of her car to ask an endangered student to be safe and use the crossing guard. The child’s response was only to run faster, causing a few cars to stop so they wouldn’t hurt her. The driver exclaimed that, “Eventually, one of the cars are not going to see her.”

Worried parents are asking children to stay out of the roads for their safety. A silly bet to run across a road could become a serious injury. Or even, a fatal accident.

One book I read over the summer was called “Because Of The Sun.” The book was about a girl whose mom dies in the beginning of the book. The girl did not like her mom very much and was not terribly sad that she is dead. During the story, she finds out that she had an aunt that her mom never told her about. Her aunt lives in the desert near the boarder of Mexico. “Because of the sun” the girl has hallucinations about her mother and the bear that mauled her to death. The book includes the troubled story of her mother’s life also. I did not enjoy this book in the beginning of the story, but by the end, I was happy I read it.

On Tuesday we went to the library. I picked out a book called “Meet Me Here.” I picked it because the cover caught my attention. Once I saw it, i read the description on the back. I think this book will be about an old friendship that is rediscovered.

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