A Compassionate Character In Maniac Magee By Jerry Spinelli

Selfishness, a quality that best shines in times of isolation, forces others to become aware of one's need for attention. Patrick Ness portrays this trait in A Monster Calls in a way that makes the readers realize that the burden of a secret is too great for anyone of any age to carry. Conor O'Malley is thirteen, but his experiences and hardships are ones that those who are beyond their years have not necessarily needed to overcome. Taking into account his mother's worsening condition, he does not want to let his surroundings affect him more than they already have. Under the influence of the Monster, Conor allows himself to act in accordance to his situation instead of keeping everything to himself without an outlet for his emotions. Conor’s selfishness, which is seen throughout the novel, affects his interactions with others in drawing out their flaws. To retaliate against his father, Lily and his grandma for putting him in situations that cause him suffering, Conor must act in this selfish manner regardless of the consequences.

Cormac McCarthy’s brain child “The Road” is a postapocalyptic novel that illustrates the harsh reality of the world. This story serves as a truth that humans, when stripped of their humanity will take desperate measures in order to survive. The reader learns; however even when it seems all hope is lost good can still be found in the world. The son character of this story illuminates this philosophy. He is a foil of his father and shows how even a person never accustomed to the luxury of a normal life can still see goodness.

News article, “Revenge and the people who seek it” written by Michael Price explores an in-depth perspective on the concept of revenge and how it effects people. Revenge is used in a variety of different ways. It can be used to, find personal satisfaction, show dominance, or a way of keeping order. People seek revenge for different reasons depending on their culture. However, most of the time people motivated by power tend to be more vengeful. Revenge can often times be confused with catharsis. An experiment conducted by Kevin Carlsmith, a social psychologist, resulted in showing that revenge seems to be sweet and relieving, but in the end it does not solve any problems and you end up feeling worse.

This week I read the book Hero by Mike Lupica. In the book a teenage kid name Zach Harriman. But then one day is life is changes when he finds out that his dad, Tom Harriman, who worked as a special adviser for the president of the United States, was a super hero with super powers. Until he died in a mysterious plane crash on a business trip and the weird thing about it is that in the crash site no bodies were found, which made Zach curious. Zach though that his father’s death was murder. Therefore he wanted to see what actually happened to the plane. While doing this he meets a man named, Mr. Herbert, who says he has special powers like Zach’s father. Zach continues to see this strange man and figure out that he was like his father. He also train Zach so he know how he knows

The short book Victims by Phillip Shaw Paludan highlights the killings of fifteen individuals during the Civil War in a remote Appalachian area in North Carolina. This area, called Shelton Laurel, was home to many families and most of them were poor. What Paludan writes is how the Civil War gave way for revenge. Because of the location of Shelton Laurel, the Confederates often tried to take control of the area and recruit many people for their war efforts. Unionist also wanted recruits from this area as well.

Would you risk your life for someone else’s? Would you give up the only thing keeping you warm to keep someone else warm? If you had little food would you give some to keep someone else from being hungry? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, you are compassionate. According to Webster's Dictionary, compassion is defined as literally, suffering with another; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration (Webster's Dictionary). Throughout the novel The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, the personality trait compassion was magnified. During the toughest of times, Markus Zusak showed that hope and goodness could still be displayed while the worst of people were being

The connections I anticipate my group members will make as a result of this question is to experiences that they have underestimated people by how the look, not how they truly are. They might think that someone is incapable of a task until they're proven wrong. This can also relate to the quote “Never judge a book by its cover”. It means to never make something or someone feel smaller or less important than they actually are, as in this saying it is the book. You never know how the book really is, by just looking at the cover. Additionally, connections I foresee my group will create based on the critical thinking question made is to the book “Cue for Treason” by Geoffrey Trease since all group members were in that group. In the book, underestimation was one of the several themes represented. This is to the character Burbage. Burbage thought that Kit was ten

In the book Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson there is a 13 year old girl by the name of Isabel she is an African American slave fighting for her and her sisters freedom, while the Revolutionary War is happening in New York city in the year of 1776-1777.

The word “Hero” has many different labels. In “ Heroes Versus Sociopaths” Andrea Kuszewski explains what she thinks the word “hero” means to her. In the article she also talks about sociopaths and what they mean to her. Towards the end of her article she starts to compare and contrast heroes and sociopaths so you can have a better understanding. She quoted, “ They are people who possess extraordinary traits of altruism - selfless concern for the well being of others - even at the expense of their own existence”, talking about heroes. A hero could be any person in any type of situation. If someone says “You are a hero”, or “You are my hero”, those phrases have two different meanings. Being a hero has 3 different meanings to me; first, a hero

In the book " Maniac Magee" Maniac/Jeffrey shows courage by being friends with a boy that was originally been mean. In the beginning of the book Mars Bar ripped Amanda's book and pushed Jeffry around, but by the end of the story Mars Bar cares about Jeffry and makes him go live at Amanda's house. Jeffry is also courageous by going intoFinsterwaldd's backyard to save someone and even sat on the front steps toFinsterwaldd's house. These acts are courageous because Mars Bar was not nice, andFinsterwaldd's front step and backyard are scary to the other kids.

Richard Kuklinski was born in 1935 in New Jersey. His father was very abusive towards him and his brother until they were teens. Richard and some Psychiatrist believe this contributed to his antisocial personality disorder. Richard developed a cold hatred for anyone who humiliated him or angered him. He first murdered someone when he was 18 by burning them alive in their own car. This started Richards long deadly habit of destroying those who got in his way. In his 20’s he joined up with Gambino mafia family. He proved his worth by un-empathetically killing a random person in the streets of new york. From there he started his career as one of the deadliest and most successful contract killer. He ascended beyond many serial killers ruthlessness and violence against his victims with his many tactics including letting rats eat them. His career as a contract killer lasted over 30 years. Through all this he had a loving wife and 3 kids including 2 girls and a boy. His family was completely unaware of his job. He was very different from many other serial killers in the way he was killing for personal gain such as money. He has repeatedly said in interviews that he felt no thrill or enjoyment from killing people. Many psychiatrist credit this to his fearlessness. Which is fueled by his antisocial personality disorders and the beats he received as a kid. This fearlessness makes a lethally efficient

How can someone be willing fall on a bomb then live, but not want to be recognized as a hero? In the book “Heroes” by Robert Cormier, the main character, Francis Cassavant, does just that. Francis Joseph Cassavant is a shy boy with a very low esteem and a hatred for himself causing him to become a suicidal character.

In 1865 the Freedmen’s Bureau was created by Congress to help former black slaves and poor Southern whites after the Civil War. In chapter three, Wicked and Lawless Men, in Anne Marshall’s book, she stated that the Freedmen’s Bureau was to “provide a legal voice for the freedmen by negotiating labor contracts between African Americans and their employers and attempting to quell racial violence… (Marshall 61).” The bureau was to also help provide education, housing, as well as food distribution and land redistribution - 40 acres and a mule. But, since the beginning the Freedmen’s Bureau “faced stiff resistance from conservative whites (61).” The conservative whites made sure that their attitudes towards Reconstruction were clearly presented to the public not only by their cartoons in the newspapers, but also by terrorizing the bureau’s supporters. This cartoon from Harper’s Weekly depicts what most white men believed: the Freedmen’s Bureau allowed African Americans to be idle while the white man worked hard for his money to support his family and also to “supporting” the African American. Thus angering the white man and causing violence throughout towns, especially in the South and because of this idea of giving money to African Americans, the white man hated the Freedmen’s Bureau.)

Often, being blind to the differences in people makes you kinder. In the book Witness, author Karen Hesse subtly implies this when Lenora, an African american protagonist, sends a letter to Helen Keller whom is a blind and deaf woman, ". Helen Keller has never known the difference between black people and white people and is kinder because she doesn't under stand the difference having never seen the difference.

Thousands of murdered children have helped us stand behind the death penalty. They have taught us to also stand behind the definition of Capital Punishment, as the Oxford English Dictionary reads “Capital Punishment is the infliction of death by an authorized public authority as a punishment of a crime.” (Augarde, A.J. The Oxford Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1981.print. pg. 343.) These murdered children have helped us also stand behind the Oxford English Dictionary word Execution: “ a action or an act of putting a person to death.” (Augarde, A.J. The Oxford Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford UP,1981.print. pg 890.) In the case of Jeffery Ferguson and Roberick Nunley, two different men, who kidnapped, raped, and murdered two innocent your children: Got what they deserved when they were executed by capital punishment. Jeffery and Roberick were given and extra 25 years to live their lives on death roll. Where is the justice for those murdered children? How come these convicted murderers get rewarded with life’s little extras after executing these young and innocent children?