Novel+Responses

**Ascmbl ** Ascmbl2475BB LA 7 - #3 29 November 2010   While I was reading // Chinese Cinderella //, I noticed that there were many minor characters that affected the major character Adeline Yen Mah who is also known as the author of this fantastic, tear-jerking novel. Whether it was a classmate from one of her schools or a family member that took her in while the communists were taking over, she never ceases to remain the same after having interactions with them. Adeline has been inspired and induced over her lifetime. She has only one person to thank for that and I can explain to whoever is reading who she is and just how important she is to her.   The one minor character that affects Adeline the most is Aunt Baba. She encourages her when no one else would and wouldn’t blame her for her mother’s death. She believes in Adeline very much and is very proud of what she accomplishes. Adeline is glad that there is one person at her home that doesn’t hate her but appreciates her. When she brought home her first medal of leadership from school, her aunt would praise and congratulate her for her hard work.  <span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 22.5pt 12pt 9pt; mso-add-space: auto; tab-stops: -40.5pt -.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Aunt Baba is so important to her that Adeline wrote a short description of her appreciation to her in her novel. It states “Aunt Baba never ceased to nurture me as a child, praising my accomplishments in school, checking my homework, and sharing her pedicabs with me. She never married and was financially dependent on my father and stepmother all her life. She was gentle, patient, and wise. I loved her very much.” (211) This proves that Aunt Baba is very supportive to Adeline when no one else is. <span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 22.5pt 12pt 9pt; mso-add-space: auto; tab-stops: -40.5pt -.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 22.5pt 12pt 9pt; mso-add-space: auto; tab-stops: -40.5pt -.5in; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> As you can see now, Adeline has a grateful, loving aunt. Aunt Baba never blames Adeline for any of her mistakes. She is a very important figure in her life. Whenever her father and stepmother pour hatred towards her, Aunt Baba is the one that would make Adeline feel better.  <span style="display: block; line-height: 150%; margin: 12pt 0in 12pt -31.7pt; mso-add-space: auto; tab-stops: -40.5pt -.5in; text-align: justify;">---




 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">ascmbl2475bb **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">LA 7 - #6 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">19 October, 2010 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I would just like to say that this book is one of the best I’ve read so far. There were many exciting events that happened and one big event that changed both Tom Canty and Edward Tudor’s lives. Tom was a poor, but happy pauper. He enjoyed his life, minus the beatings from his father and grandmother. He thought that there was no other way to live but the way he was living. He started to hear stories from a nearby priest and learned that there are people who do not beg on the streets or living in raggedy, small houses. He became very sad knowing that his life could be better like the people in the stories he hears. He then met Prince Edward of Wales. The prince felt sorry for this boy and took him into his palace to be fed and to learn more about him. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">After the talked for a while, Tom said that he would love to try on Edward’s fine clothing. Edward agreed and put on Tom’s dirty, ripped outfit. They looked side by side at each other in the mirror and noticed that they looked very much alike! The prince noticed a bruise on the pauper’s arm and learned that it came from one of his guards. Edward was furious and rushed outside to consult with the man at the gate. He didn’t realize that he was still in Tom’s clothes and was kicked out of the palace. This was how the Prince and the Pauper’s lives were changed. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">One way this affected Tom’s life was his diet. When he was living in Offal Court, all he would eat was food scraps from him begging people on the streets. Since he was mistaken as the prince, he was fed big meals such as large platters of turkey and chicken. He would never go a day without eating like he did as a pauper. Edward’s diet was also affected. He wouldn’t eat a thing in days. The days when he would eat came from his new friend Miles and a strange hermit that he met, but they were not big meals at all. Edward was very upset to not have very much food when he was so used to the five course meals that Tom was getting. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Another way it affected Tom’s life was his behavior. He did not know how to act at special events or what to say when speaking to other members of the royal court. People thought he was going mad from the things we would say. Trying to convince them that he was not the prince made the whole kingdom think that he was crazy and his father, King Henry VIII, believed also. Since everyone knew things were wrong with him, they wouldn’t comment or act surprised at the weird gestures he was doing at the table, like not tucking in his napkin into his shirt or eating his food like a maniac. Edward’s behavior was also affected because no one would believe he was the Prince of Wales. Everyone would laugh and mock him for his strange outbursts. The only person that enjoyed his royal-like behavior was his friend Miles. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The last aspect of both of their lives that was affected was their dress. Tom would no longer have to wear his dirty clothes, but was not dress in fine silk. If Tom were to dress in rags everyone would continue to think that he was a crazy boy. On the other hand, Edward did not own any of the beautiful, expensive clothing that he had as prince. He was forced to wear the same rags until Miles made some of his own, but they were still nothing compared to what he had before. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">These boys have been through a lot, but luckily Edward was reunited with Royal Family and pronounced king. Although Tom was no longer the head of Wales, he was not brought back to Offal Court but instead the king brought his sisters, mother, and himself to Christ’s Hospital to be taken care of. Their lives are not as they were before, but it is surely better now that Edward is king and Tom has a loving family and a wonderful home. **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> **<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ascmbl2475bb **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">LA 7 - #7 **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">21 September, 2010 **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If an author wants their book to be fully understood and examined more carefully then they must use figurative language. If the book is written with many similes, metaphors, personification, etc, the reader is able to picture the setting of the book and see how the characters look and how the events appear. The author, Gary Paulsen, used figurative language throughout the book and really made it interesting. There is not one page without an example. It really helps the reader know what’s happening and how it’s happening. **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">An alliteration is a repeated consonant sounds that occurs at the beginning of words or within words. An example of alliteration in the book is when the narrator is meeting the Larson’s for the first time and he is explaining his “dourty peectures.” “In higher circles the pictures would be known as artistic anatomical studies, but the man who sold them to me called them ‘dourty peectures,’ which seemed far more accurate.” (6) The two words with the same consonants are artistic and anatomical. The author’s intention for this is to call attention to these words. It helps to look at it more carefully. **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A personification is giving non-human things human traits. On example of this is when the deputy is driving the narrator to the Larson’s house through the thick woods. “The road grew more narrow, closed in until it nearly disappeared ahead of the car, and just when it seemed the car would have to dive into the trees, the deputy hung a left and the car bounced as we turned onto a dirt road – <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">or, more accurately, a set of ruts.” (3-4) Of course, the car would not actually be able to dive in to the trees; only a human could; therefore this is an example of personification. **

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So as you can see, figurative language is vital to making your writing “pop”. It’s easier to understand the novel when they are similes, metaphors, and alliterations. Gary Paulsen's way with words make the book very interesting and funny at times. If every author used as many examples of figurative language as he did, I would want to read every book in the world. **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A simile is a comparison of two unlike things using the word like or as. An example of this is when Louie is eating at breakfast and the narrator admires him. “Before the plate hit the table, Louie leaned forward like a snake striking and hit the stack of pancakes with his fork.” (16) The author is comparing Louie and how he moves as fast as a snake. It helps picture the speed of Louie’s eating technique. **