Survival
Author's Note: This is my DWA (District Writing Assessment) essay. I tried to use text evidence without doing a summary, so if you have any ideas on how I can improve this essay please let me know.
All is as calm as sleeping kitten, warm air surrounding the earth. Suddenly dark and mysterious clouds rise from the horizon, soaking up every last drop of blue from the sky. A turning funnel bursts through the darkness, dancing its way to the earth’s floor. The tornado suctions up everything- even the tiniest pebble- and scatters it all into oblivion. Even though now neighborhoods are devastated and thousands are left without homes, the sunshine peeking through the end of the dark tunnel sparkles with hope. Ann Aguirre wrote the book Enclave to show when things get tough, we all need to continue on the route of survival.
In the book, Enclave, Deuce is banished from her home where she lives for something she didn't do. Her life was full of lies, so she didn't think too badly of what was to come. Sure, she knew it was going to be hard, but she had her hunting partner, Fade, to go through it with her. Ann Aguirre wants us to know that with family and friends, we can just keep trudging through everything and surviving like Deuce and Fade did in Enclave.
Even though you could trudge through everything and survive, you really need to focus on what’s important. Ann Aguirre helps this shine through the book like the sun through a cloud by allowing Deuce to be curious about Fade’s father and if there really is a place that is better than anything she’s seen before. Throughout their journey, the only thing really keeping Deuce going is her focus on what’s important; this is also known as hope. If you have hope, it’s like a child on Christmas Eve waiting for Christmas Day. When he waits patiently, presents will eventually come. Hope is the main fuel supply to everyone’s engine. It’s the only thing that truly keeps us going.
Ann Aguirre wrote the book Enclave for the same reason Beth Revis wrote the book Across the Universe. Beth Revis also tells the readers through the book that when horrible things happen, you can get through them. In Across the Universe, after Amy wakes up on a ship full of crazy people who run on lies, she doesn't think she’ll ever be able to see her frozen parents again. Except she still keeps a spark of hope with her that she will be able to be with her parents.
The book Enclave was written by Ann Aguirre to show when things get tough, we all need to continue on the route of survival. Society can be a tough place to live in sometimes with things like crime , murder, and the economy. Ann Aguirre wants to show that we can get through anything life throws at us.
The Zulu Boy
Author’s Note: I wrote this essay for the DWA ( District Writing Assessment). I decided to do it on the book “Zulu Dog” because I am also using it for a project in Social Studies. You get 2 out of 1! Anyways, I wrote a character analysis on Vusi because I find him as an interesting character. One of those reasons is because he’s not from the US, or even lives there for that matter. He is from Africa, and lives in the Southern half. You should find him sort of interesting, too.
When was a time you gave up on something? It can go all the way from not becoming an author to not figuring out a math problem. Why did you give up? These are all things to think about. Especially when you know it isn’t good to quit or give up on something. The character Vusi is determined and is brave. Anton Ferreira wrote the book “Zulu Dog” to show through the character Vusi that you should be brave and never give up on anything- follow your dreams.
One of the aspects that create the interesting character of Vusi is that he is determined. Never gives up. For instance, his mother told him to throw the tiny puppy Vusi found into the bush as if it’s a worthless piece of junk. He kept the dog, Gillette, for hunting in the luscious woods even though he lost one of his hind legs. Vusi was able to hide the puppy in a small cave. When Gillette had lost his leg due to a leopard on the family's property, Vusi just couldn't let it die. He took him to his grandmother's hut- where he rarely visits because he’s afraid of the strange objects hanging from the ceiling- so she could cut off the dead, hanging leg and give him medicine to help Gillette heal. Also, when Vusi met the white girl, Shirley, he wanted to talk to her. It was very hard at first because Vusi spoke Zulu and Shirley spoke English. After a few months of visiting each other, they learned their languages and spoke freely toward one another. It is good to learn languages because you never know who you may come across.
Another aspect of Vusi is that he is brave. He went outside of his kraal and went onto a white farmer’s property to look for his friend Shirley when she went missing. Vusi knew it wasn’t good to go on a white man’s farm because he has heard stories of them with their guns shooting at black people. He hadn’t been able to just leave his friend missing somewhere in unknown places. So, he spoke up and eventually found Shirley. Always speak up, and you might get what you want deep inside you. Also, Vusi was brave enough to let Gillette go on his first hunt even though many of his family members who were also on the hunt thought that Gillette would just get in the way. They were very wrong. Gillette was the only dog that smelled and spotted a warthog. Warthogs are the most precious of the meats because it is rarely found. Everybody was so surprised that they had no idea what to say. They were left stunned, their minds blanking, grasping for words to say. Don't be afraid to show what you can do. You may just end up surprising them.
The book “Zulu Dog” was written by Anton Ferreira to show through the character Vusi that you should be brave and never give up on anything- follow your dreams. If anyone you know ever has a dream, don’t pound them into the mud saying, “You want to do THAT! It will never happen!”. Instead say, “You can do it! I know you can!”. So don’t let them get discouraged; help them through the hard process of accomplishing something. It really doesn't need to be a dream. It can simply be doing good on a certain test. Whatever it may be, we can make this world a better place if we would all help each other.
Jelly Love
Author's Note: This is the writing piece for the Fall, 2012 DWA. I chose to write about jellyfish because I was frantically searching through the files of my mind for something to write about. That's when I remembered the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago which I went to with my aunt, Carrie. Jellyfish have always fascinated me, especially in their appearance.
In the depths of the ocean blue, where the sunlight bouncing off the water isn't seen, you see a jellyfish. Its tentacles dangle as it pushes itself almost weightlessly through the water. Jellyfish have always amazed me, as they are amazing creatures.
You wouldn't think that jellyfish could be alive; they don't have a brain. Instead of a brain, they have a nervous system which makes them capable of detecting light and smell. Jellyfish usually drift around the ocean. When small animals swim by, the jellyfish's tentacles shoot out and inject the prey with venom. It's magnificent how these jellyfish manage to track their food, find their way through the waters and protect themselves, all without a brain. Additionally, not only do jellyfish not have a brain, but they also don't have any skeleton structure or blood. But then again, they don't really need it.
If you’re surprised they’re even alive, you should hear about the huge differences in size jellyfish can be. One of the smallest jellyfish is called the Irukandji. Surprisingly, it’s only one and a half inches, plus see-through and one of the deadliest. Another type of jellyfish which happens to be the largest can become eight feet around it’s bell, and its tentacles reach up to 200 feet! Although they seem pretty scary, jellyfish are actually quite delicate animals. This is because they are made up of 95% water. Additionally, they die right away if they come in contact with sunlight. That’s why they usually are found deeper in the ocean.
Jellyfish are truly magnificent creatures. You for one wouldn’t be able to live without bones, blood, or especially a brain. These creatures are definitely special. If you can learn more about something, then you know how different it is from other things. More specifically, I learned more about jellyfish because they really are wonderful creatures.
