Wednesday, January 9, 2008
(one:anger management) :]
Overall I thought that Ironman was an ok book. The issues portrayed in the book were really interesting and sometimes hard to read about. Abuse and Anger are hard to read about and because that is a main aspect in the book, sometimes I had a hard time reading parts but at the same time I thought that Chris Crutcher got in depth with what we would want to read. At first I thought that it was really stupid that Bo had to go to the Anger Management Class because what he did wasn’t his fault. It seems like Mr. Redmond was egging him on so he could kick him out of his class. Calling a teacher a name after he wouldn’t shut up about an assignment that Bo missed is more like detention material in my mind. I would get annoyed but I would expect to be sent to detention and not to an Anger Management Class. Even though at first I thought it was stupid that he was sent to the class, after finishing the book it seems like him going to the class was a very good. Bo can get angry easily and I believe that it is all his dads fault that he is like that. His dad has and will probably always be very strict and mean to him. Seriously, what kind of Dad would make a nine year old be grounded for seven months and miss a Christmas all because Bo said something to him that wasn’t respectful. While in Bo’s mind going to the class was kind of suckish, it seemed like a good thing for him to do. He met many kids that helped through a lot and he learned a lot about his friends that he already had. Bo got to understanding that his family, well his dad mostly, caused his anger. I think that Bo didn’t want to believe that at all because he loves his family and didn’t think that they could cause that. His dad thinks he’s a quitter and that’s all just because he quit football one year because he didn’t really like it. It seems like Bo’s dad is a little…ok a lot of a pain in the butt and way to strict on Bo. While in the class Bo met many kids that became part of his life in the future. There was Hudgie who had a bad family that didn’t treat him well at all. One of the saddest parts in the book for me was when Mr. Nak was telling the group about why he had to cancel the morning’s session. He told everyone one that the police found Hudgie in his house holding his dead dog on the porch in freezing weather. Hudgie’s dad shot the dog after Hudgie forgot to feed him twice and Hudgie kept on telling the dog that he was sorry and that it was his fault. The worst part was that when the police were taking his dad away Hudgie yelled on him to leave him alone and he really thought that it was his entire fault that he was dead. Hudgie’s dad was only charged with discharging a firearm inside city limits. That’s so sad and I think that made Bo realize that people have worse situations at home than him. Bo also met Shelly who later on became his girlfriend. Hearing her story about her being kicked out of her house and how her adopted parents thinking she would become just like her real mother was really sad. Her parents are so mean to her just because her mother wasn’t a good person when she had Shelly. It seemed like to me that they didn’t care for Shelly at all and they didn’t want her at all. They cared more about their other children than her. Bo learned about how Mr. S was actually gay. When Bo’s dad told him he had heard that, I didn’t believe him and I thought that Bo’s dad was just trying scare Bo. When Mr. S told Bo that he was Bo was shocked and it was hard for him to talk to each other. I was shocked at the same time because you would never think that by how the author describes him in the book. I thought it was good that Bo finally got over the fact that he is a nice person and like every other person in the world. Bo also met Elvis and Mr. Nak who became very nice in the end. Elvis never liked Bo but they got over their hard times and helped each other through the bad. In the book I thought that Elvis was going to hurt Bo because of what he would say to him. I’m glad that he didn’t though. Mr.Nak scared Bo at first and same with me. I thought it was funny that Bo said that it was a little Asian man that had a southern accent. That was really odd to me and I have never met some one like that before in my life.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
(two:triathlon) :P
The triathlon helped Bo with his anger and he found many good aspects out of it. Bo made friends, he stood up to his dad and he beat Wyracks butt. I think that he wouldn’t have won the triathlon without Hudgie, Elvis, Shelly, Mr.Nak and the other anger management kids. I’m sure he could have done well without them, but they pushed him to keep going. They helped him achieve more than he expected and he reached another level with their help. I wonder if the CD that his friends gave him would really work to get you focused. If you think about it, it sounds kind of funny, but then you don’t expect anything on the CD so you kind of get zoned in to what is happening but then at that you could get really zoned in and it could take your mind off of what is happening outside the CD. I believe that it is a good thing that Shelly bet with Wyrack 500 dollars that Bo could win because it pushed Bo to win. Bo knew that he would have to give him that money and he knew that they didn’t deserve so it helped him beat them in the triathlon. Bo trained really and I believe it was a good thing that Shelly helped him. In the beginning of the book it seemed like Bo pushed himself a little too hard and Shelly helped him control his workouts. He got in the workout he needed to do his best at the triathlon. When Bo’s dad helped Wyrack and his friends I think that it really showed Bo that he needed to prove himself to him. I think that it pushed Bo to win the triathlon and it showed his dad that he is not a quitter and that he can finish things if he puts his mind on it and believes in himself. Since Bo didn’t get to see his dad after the race I think that he felt ashamed that he didn’t believe in his son and that he helped the other boys try and beat him. I wonder if the whole story would change if he decided to do home schooling instead of going to the Anger Management class. Bo would have never met Elvis, Hudgie, Shelly or any other people from the class. If he didn’t meet Shelly he would have to train on his own and he may have pushed himself to hard and hurt himself. Not knowing Shelly would make it so he didn’t have to beat Wyrack in the triathlon, which may be a good thing because he wouldn’t be focused on that. It may also be a bad thing because he wouldn’t be pushed to win the triathlon. Also, if he didn’t meet any of these people he couldn’t get to listen to the tape during the triathlon and that may cause him to lose. At the same time you could think that not knowing these people may help him because he wouldn’t have their issues and problems on his mind and wouldn’t be way focused on the tape. I kind of wonder what would happen if there was another book. I bet Bo would keep on training and join more and more triathlons because it seems like he really likes them and he really knows how to pace himself through them. Bo and Shelly seem like they will stay together. They seem happy together and I think that they will last a while because they trust each other with their problems. I don’t think that Bo and his dad will not stop arguing and that they will never make. It seems like his dad is way too strict on Bo and he needs to take time and understand Bo’s situation.
(three:family issues) :[
There were a lot of family issues in this book. It seemed that most of the kids in the Anger Management class were there because of family problems. Even though Bo went into the class because of calling a teacher a name, it was a family problem that caused that. I thought that Hudgie and Shelly had the worst family problems. I was shocked to hear what happened to Hudgie and his dog on Valentines Day. You already know about that because you probably read the book or read blog 2...hint hint. I didn’t expect that to happen in the book or anything big to happen to any of the other characters. I was really shocked to hear about Hudgie and what happened to his dog. I kind of forgot completely about the rest of the story when I heard about that. I was also shocked about Shelly’s story. Before in the story Bo said that Shelly just joined in because she wanted to and I thought that that was kind of strange. Shelly has had a hard life and it was cool that she was willing to share her story with Bo after only knowing him for a little while. When Shelly told her story that was surprisingly one of my favorite parts of the book. It was one of my favorite parts of the book because it seemed like she started in a rough place and picked up the pieces and has made the best of her life ever since. I think it was hard for Bo to hear Mr.Nak to say that his dad was the reason he has anger problems. In my mind it seemed like BO didn’t want to believe that and he didn’t want to believe Mr. Nak at all. In the end of the book, Bo takes the time to talk to his dad and ask him to go into counseling with him to figure out their problems. I was really happy to read that Bo and his dad wanted to solve their problems and become better people to themselves and especially to each other. I was really, really, really, REALLY mad when I read about Bo’s dad leaving the counselor after the doctor asked Bo’s dads about his feelings for his dad and Bo said that is the same way he feels for him. I think that kind of made Bo’s dad feel ashamed and he now knows what Bo has been going through all these years and he feels horrible for what he has done to him. It kind of sucks that they don’t say if they talk in the end but I believe that they wont solve their problems at all because of all the issues they have had in the past and the ones that will affect them in the future. After reading the book I kind of wondered if Mr.Nak had any problems with his family. He didn’t really say much about his family, just about how he drove drunk and got in a car accident and his kids died. I wish he would have said what his relationship with his kids were. I think he was probably a good dad because of the way he treats the Anger management class kids or at least I hope he was. I’m also glad he Is going back to Texas to start over and it’s a lesson to the kids that you shouldn’t run away from everything and this shows that he is going back and not leaving that behind just because something horrible happened there.
(background info)
Plot Summary:
Ironman, by Chris Crutcher, is a novel about a teenage boy named Beauregard Brewster who has a huge dream but has some problems to solve along the way. He has one name that almost everyone calls him and that is Bo. Bo dreams of wining a triathlon and becoming an Ironman but some things get in his way. He has an extremely bad anger management probably. He ends up yelling at everyone that he sees his dad in. In the beginning of the book, Bo yells at Mr. Redmond, one of his teachers, because he got irritated in him. He ends up saying something he shouldn't have and gets sent out of school. Bo has a choice of either being home schooled or anger management classes. After listening and talking over what he should do, he chose to go to the anger management class because the home schooling teacher is the most boring teacher in the world. His first day at anger management he got to meet some really awesome people. He met Mr.Nak, Shelly, Elvis, Hudge and many more. Some of the kids like Elvis, believe that he doesn't belong in the class because he did nothing wrong. All Bo does is workout, go home and go to anger management in the mornings. He has become almost obsessed with working out and getting in shape for the big triathlon. Bo has a really good friend name Mr. S and yes, he is a teacher. They know each other very well and Bo trusts him with a lot of secrets in Bo's life. For Bo's training he goes to the swimming pool because Mr.S is the coach. He ends up beating some of the college kids during a race. One of the kids, Wyrack, doesn’t like that a high school kid is beaten him at his sport. After a few swims, Wyrack warns Bo that if he beats him again that he will pay. During anger management class, also known as the Nak Pak, Bo gets to know a girl named Shelly very well. They become very good friends, and eventually closer than friends. Shelly is a very muscular girl and helps Bo pace himself through his training for the triathlon. She shows him that he can’t push himself so hard or he will hurt himself. They work out together and she helps him find himself for the triathlon. Shelly knows all about the triathlon and bets Wyrack that he can’t beat Bo. They bet that if Bo wins, Wyrack has to pay him $500 and if Wyrack wins, Bo will have to pay him $500. Bo was shocked when he found this out but it gave him more determination to win the competition. He worked out more and better, pacing himself and not killing his body. Bo kept on going to the anger management class and many things started happening. Everyone in the class started becoming friends and joining together to help Bo win the triathlon. When the triathlon day came, the kids had a huge surprise for Bo. They gave Bo a tape and told him to press play write as he was starting. The tape had music and some words from everyone that kept Bo going strong in the triathlon. In the end, of course, Bo won!! He beat Wyrack thanks to his determination and the help from his new friends. In the end of the book, Mr. Nak decides to go to Texas and go back to what he had left behind. Bo faces his dad about his problems and settles them down with a psychiatrist. This book makes you think and feel for everyone. You can be sad and then glad in an instant and that makes the book great.
Character Description and Development:
Bo (Beaugrad Brewster) - Beaugrad Brewster, also known as Bo, Had many different aspects that made him, him. Bo can be angry, happy, sad and confused all in one day, nevertheless sometimes in thirty minutes. He is a very nice guy but has so many mixed emotions that he can not deal with. For example, in the beginning of the book, Bo is calm, then angry, then happy and last he is confused. In this part of the book Bo starts out calm in school and than gets angry at Mr. Redmond. He gets happy after he gets kicked out of class but then confused when he had to choose between home schooling and anger management. While he has so many emotions, he is also very determined. When Bo is doing the triathlon, he is determined to win or at least do better than Wyrack. Bo would do anything to do well in the triathlon. He worked out every day and even watched what he ate just to do well. While Bo has many emotions, he is always determined to succeed in life. Bo didn’t really develop much throughout the book. He gained new friends and he proved himself to his dad and to himself. He showed people who thought he was a quitter that he can do it. He got to meet some amazing people and hopefully would have stayed friends with them if the book went on.
Shelly- In the book Ironman, Shelly is a very spunky character with different emotions. One emotion she shows is sadness. She shows sadness a lot when she is in class and listening to the other group member’s situations in life. When she was telling Bo about her life, I figured she would get very emotional but she sucked it up and she didn’t get very emotional. Another emotion she shows is happiness. While she can be very sad, she is very happy. Shelly is very happy about the way her life is going and she gets excited for others when something good happens their lives. Shelly has a very energetic and spunky personality. Sometimes Shelly has a huge attitude but it’s not a big problem. She can also be very controlling because she loves to get her way. For example, when Bo and Shelly were working out, she would tell Bo to do this and that because she was the best. Shelly is a very muscular girl and intimidates the boys sometimes because she has so many muscles that you can see. Shelly grew up in the book. It seems like she opened up more in the book than ever before. I didn’t really know who she was in the beginning of the book until Bo talked about her being her girlfriend. She is more open to friendship and relationships and got to know the kids in anger management a lot more than she had known them before.
Hudge- Hudge seems really sweet but he is afraid of a lot in life. He is afraid of his family and the world and I think that hides his personality from everyone he knows. Hudge learned to trust the anger management kids more. He started to trust the kids with his secrets, which is a really big step.
Mr.Nak- Mr. Nak has had a very time through out his whole life. Mr. Nak seems like a very nice person who cares deeply about others and not himself. He’s one of those people who always puts others first, but never him. He takes care of the anger management kids like they are his own children and that really connects them together and lets the kids trust him. Mr. Nak is a very happy person. That’s really the only emotion in the book that is portrayed in the book. He is always happy to see that all the kids showed up at class or to hear about issues being resolved. He was only sad once and that was when Hudge’s dad shot his dog. I absolutely agree why he was sad during that part of the book because that was horrible and Hudge didn’t deserve that. Mr. Nak grew a lot in the book. He decided to go back to Texas after years of being away. Ok just so you know if you don’t know, Mr. Nak killed his kids in a drunk driving accident in Texas and he was the drunk driver. It would take guts to go back there after what had happened. He showed the kids that they can’t run away from things.
Wyrack- I think Wyrack learned that he can’t have everything he wants. He try’s to beat everyone at everything because he thinks he is the best at everything, even though he’s NOT!! I hope he learned that he has to let others before him sometimes and not always just relay on himself.
Elvis- I think that Elvis is a nice guy with a hard outer shell. He seems like a tough, muscular guy but he is a soft sweet guy on the outside. He wants people to be afraid of him in all situations. I think he learned that he doesn’t need everyone to be afraid of him and that people will like him for him. Elvis only developed with that fact that he trusts people now. He also isn’t tearing people down right when he meets them. He gets to know the real them first and then he will tell them that he doesn’t like them, well if he doesn’t.
Lucas (Bo’s Dad) - Lucas finally understands that Bo is NOT a quitter. He always thought that just because he quit football one year and he apparently let his team down. I think that is really stupid. I think that since Lucas left the triathlon he felt stupid for always saying that about his son and for helping Wyrack out. He learned that he has to help his son and be there for him.
Setting:
There are many settings in the book Ironman. The book takes place in the 1990’s in Clark Fork, Washington. One setting in Ironman is the anger management classroom. Bo ends up spending a lot of his time in the anger management class and it’s probably more than he ever thought he would. He learns a lot about himself and his life in that room. There is no description of the room but that room is holding many secrets and ambitions of those kids. Another setting is just Mother Nature herself. You can really sum up Mother Nature of were it was because Mother Nature is everywhere. Bo does the triathlon and he has to swim in a lake, run and bike. These all happen outside and the triathlon is a huge part of the book. Another setting is Bo’s school. What happens at school isn’t a very good thing and seems like no one believes in him and that makes school hard for Bo. The last setting is the swimming pool and/ or the workout room. Bo spends so much time working out that this had to be a big setting as well. He has to get in shape for the triathlon and there is no better way than working his butt off. While working in the gym he also worked out at the swimming pool. That is were he made some friends… and some enemies. The swimming pool is were he met Wyrack and Wyrack is partly responsible for why he was pumped for the triathlon. There are many settings in the book Ironman that help the whole story come together.
Ironman, by Chris Crutcher, is a novel about a teenage boy named Beauregard Brewster who has a huge dream but has some problems to solve along the way. He has one name that almost everyone calls him and that is Bo. Bo dreams of wining a triathlon and becoming an Ironman but some things get in his way. He has an extremely bad anger management probably. He ends up yelling at everyone that he sees his dad in. In the beginning of the book, Bo yells at Mr. Redmond, one of his teachers, because he got irritated in him. He ends up saying something he shouldn't have and gets sent out of school. Bo has a choice of either being home schooled or anger management classes. After listening and talking over what he should do, he chose to go to the anger management class because the home schooling teacher is the most boring teacher in the world. His first day at anger management he got to meet some really awesome people. He met Mr.Nak, Shelly, Elvis, Hudge and many more. Some of the kids like Elvis, believe that he doesn't belong in the class because he did nothing wrong. All Bo does is workout, go home and go to anger management in the mornings. He has become almost obsessed with working out and getting in shape for the big triathlon. Bo has a really good friend name Mr. S and yes, he is a teacher. They know each other very well and Bo trusts him with a lot of secrets in Bo's life. For Bo's training he goes to the swimming pool because Mr.S is the coach. He ends up beating some of the college kids during a race. One of the kids, Wyrack, doesn’t like that a high school kid is beaten him at his sport. After a few swims, Wyrack warns Bo that if he beats him again that he will pay. During anger management class, also known as the Nak Pak, Bo gets to know a girl named Shelly very well. They become very good friends, and eventually closer than friends. Shelly is a very muscular girl and helps Bo pace himself through his training for the triathlon. She shows him that he can’t push himself so hard or he will hurt himself. They work out together and she helps him find himself for the triathlon. Shelly knows all about the triathlon and bets Wyrack that he can’t beat Bo. They bet that if Bo wins, Wyrack has to pay him $500 and if Wyrack wins, Bo will have to pay him $500. Bo was shocked when he found this out but it gave him more determination to win the competition. He worked out more and better, pacing himself and not killing his body. Bo kept on going to the anger management class and many things started happening. Everyone in the class started becoming friends and joining together to help Bo win the triathlon. When the triathlon day came, the kids had a huge surprise for Bo. They gave Bo a tape and told him to press play write as he was starting. The tape had music and some words from everyone that kept Bo going strong in the triathlon. In the end, of course, Bo won!! He beat Wyrack thanks to his determination and the help from his new friends. In the end of the book, Mr. Nak decides to go to Texas and go back to what he had left behind. Bo faces his dad about his problems and settles them down with a psychiatrist. This book makes you think and feel for everyone. You can be sad and then glad in an instant and that makes the book great.
Character Description and Development:
Bo (Beaugrad Brewster) - Beaugrad Brewster, also known as Bo, Had many different aspects that made him, him. Bo can be angry, happy, sad and confused all in one day, nevertheless sometimes in thirty minutes. He is a very nice guy but has so many mixed emotions that he can not deal with. For example, in the beginning of the book, Bo is calm, then angry, then happy and last he is confused. In this part of the book Bo starts out calm in school and than gets angry at Mr. Redmond. He gets happy after he gets kicked out of class but then confused when he had to choose between home schooling and anger management. While he has so many emotions, he is also very determined. When Bo is doing the triathlon, he is determined to win or at least do better than Wyrack. Bo would do anything to do well in the triathlon. He worked out every day and even watched what he ate just to do well. While Bo has many emotions, he is always determined to succeed in life. Bo didn’t really develop much throughout the book. He gained new friends and he proved himself to his dad and to himself. He showed people who thought he was a quitter that he can do it. He got to meet some amazing people and hopefully would have stayed friends with them if the book went on.
Shelly- In the book Ironman, Shelly is a very spunky character with different emotions. One emotion she shows is sadness. She shows sadness a lot when she is in class and listening to the other group member’s situations in life. When she was telling Bo about her life, I figured she would get very emotional but she sucked it up and she didn’t get very emotional. Another emotion she shows is happiness. While she can be very sad, she is very happy. Shelly is very happy about the way her life is going and she gets excited for others when something good happens their lives. Shelly has a very energetic and spunky personality. Sometimes Shelly has a huge attitude but it’s not a big problem. She can also be very controlling because she loves to get her way. For example, when Bo and Shelly were working out, she would tell Bo to do this and that because she was the best. Shelly is a very muscular girl and intimidates the boys sometimes because she has so many muscles that you can see. Shelly grew up in the book. It seems like she opened up more in the book than ever before. I didn’t really know who she was in the beginning of the book until Bo talked about her being her girlfriend. She is more open to friendship and relationships and got to know the kids in anger management a lot more than she had known them before.
Hudge- Hudge seems really sweet but he is afraid of a lot in life. He is afraid of his family and the world and I think that hides his personality from everyone he knows. Hudge learned to trust the anger management kids more. He started to trust the kids with his secrets, which is a really big step.
Mr.Nak- Mr. Nak has had a very time through out his whole life. Mr. Nak seems like a very nice person who cares deeply about others and not himself. He’s one of those people who always puts others first, but never him. He takes care of the anger management kids like they are his own children and that really connects them together and lets the kids trust him. Mr. Nak is a very happy person. That’s really the only emotion in the book that is portrayed in the book. He is always happy to see that all the kids showed up at class or to hear about issues being resolved. He was only sad once and that was when Hudge’s dad shot his dog. I absolutely agree why he was sad during that part of the book because that was horrible and Hudge didn’t deserve that. Mr. Nak grew a lot in the book. He decided to go back to Texas after years of being away. Ok just so you know if you don’t know, Mr. Nak killed his kids in a drunk driving accident in Texas and he was the drunk driver. It would take guts to go back there after what had happened. He showed the kids that they can’t run away from things.
Wyrack- I think Wyrack learned that he can’t have everything he wants. He try’s to beat everyone at everything because he thinks he is the best at everything, even though he’s NOT!! I hope he learned that he has to let others before him sometimes and not always just relay on himself.
Elvis- I think that Elvis is a nice guy with a hard outer shell. He seems like a tough, muscular guy but he is a soft sweet guy on the outside. He wants people to be afraid of him in all situations. I think he learned that he doesn’t need everyone to be afraid of him and that people will like him for him. Elvis only developed with that fact that he trusts people now. He also isn’t tearing people down right when he meets them. He gets to know the real them first and then he will tell them that he doesn’t like them, well if he doesn’t.
Lucas (Bo’s Dad) - Lucas finally understands that Bo is NOT a quitter. He always thought that just because he quit football one year and he apparently let his team down. I think that is really stupid. I think that since Lucas left the triathlon he felt stupid for always saying that about his son and for helping Wyrack out. He learned that he has to help his son and be there for him.
Setting:
There are many settings in the book Ironman. The book takes place in the 1990’s in Clark Fork, Washington. One setting in Ironman is the anger management classroom. Bo ends up spending a lot of his time in the anger management class and it’s probably more than he ever thought he would. He learns a lot about himself and his life in that room. There is no description of the room but that room is holding many secrets and ambitions of those kids. Another setting is just Mother Nature herself. You can really sum up Mother Nature of were it was because Mother Nature is everywhere. Bo does the triathlon and he has to swim in a lake, run and bike. These all happen outside and the triathlon is a huge part of the book. Another setting is Bo’s school. What happens at school isn’t a very good thing and seems like no one believes in him and that makes school hard for Bo. The last setting is the swimming pool and/ or the workout room. Bo spends so much time working out that this had to be a big setting as well. He has to get in shape for the triathlon and there is no better way than working his butt off. While working in the gym he also worked out at the swimming pool. That is were he made some friends… and some enemies. The swimming pool is were he met Wyrack and Wyrack is partly responsible for why he was pumped for the triathlon. There are many settings in the book Ironman that help the whole story come together.
(evaluation of novel)
Ideas and Content: The ideas in this book are very obvious and they are aggression and family issues. An example of this is, “It was the nature of my father’s power over us that no one outside the family had an inkling of my interment. Even as we stood locked in our struggle, I knew family business was no one else’s and never thought to call for help.”(Crutcher37) Bo is talking about how he never had talked about his family issues with others and that he is unsure about telling others. Another example of family issues is, “And Hudge was screaming at the cops to leave his dad alone while they hauled him off! I mean, he didn’t even know it was his dad’s fault, Lar; Hudge thought he killed the dog.”(Crutcher197) This shows family issues because it shows how stupid t is of Hudge to protect his dad even though he is the one who shot his dog. Chris Crutcher makes a point about what he is trying to tell his readers in the book.
Organization: The book makes sense all together. There is nothing that is out of place or seems like it shouldn’t be in that one part of the book. Sometimes reading the journal entries can be a little confusing because Bo is writing them to someone else and he is re-writing the event that we just read about.
Individual Voice: I believe that every character in this book has their own voice because of what they say, or what happens. “Let me tell you why. I’m goin’ back to Texas. They got a senior rodeo circuit down there I can join u with. I’m goin’ because of what I saw at Yukon Jack’s. I been payin’ less attention to the physical world that I should, getting’ outta contact. When I saw young Brewster here workin’ his way through that hellish event, it got me to rememberin’ what it was like to be on a bareback bronc, how it felt to know exactly where that thunderous devil was goin’ next, just from the tension in his muscle against my knee. I been payin’ attention to other folks’ lives-an’ learnin’ some while I was at it-but now its time to start payin’ attention to my own agin.”(Crutcher278) Mr. Nak really shows his individual voice in this and shows what he feels like. Chris Crutcher really contributes to how the characters are feeling and what they would say, not what others would say.
Word Choice: I wouldn’t say that Chris Crutchers word choice is the best but its okay. It’s not extraordinary like some other books, but he does have some good words. I don’t think he made it extraordinary because he was aiming for a teenager to read it and teenagers don’t usually get turned on by big words. I really liked this line, not because of the word choice, but because I can just imagine Bo saying it and I can see the expression on Bo’s face while he is saying it. “Jeez, the kid is in kindergarten, and her he is sending psychic penetrations deep into Dad’s soft tissue and looking like Linda Blair getting ready to spin her head around while he’s at it.”(Crutcher159)
Sentence Fluency: The sentences flowed very well together. Chris Crutcher made them sound very well together unless something wasn’t supposed to. When someone was supposed to stumble on words, he still made it sound nice.
Conventions: He used correct spelling and grammar throughout the whole book. I never read anything that sounded in correct. There are times when I thought I did but I just had to re-read and understand it.
Presentation: The presentation is very pleasing and the cover shows what the book is about. The cover catches your eye and you understand in the end why the biker is on the cover.
Organization: The book makes sense all together. There is nothing that is out of place or seems like it shouldn’t be in that one part of the book. Sometimes reading the journal entries can be a little confusing because Bo is writing them to someone else and he is re-writing the event that we just read about.
Individual Voice: I believe that every character in this book has their own voice because of what they say, or what happens. “Let me tell you why. I’m goin’ back to Texas. They got a senior rodeo circuit down there I can join u with. I’m goin’ because of what I saw at Yukon Jack’s. I been payin’ less attention to the physical world that I should, getting’ outta contact. When I saw young Brewster here workin’ his way through that hellish event, it got me to rememberin’ what it was like to be on a bareback bronc, how it felt to know exactly where that thunderous devil was goin’ next, just from the tension in his muscle against my knee. I been payin’ attention to other folks’ lives-an’ learnin’ some while I was at it-but now its time to start payin’ attention to my own agin.”(Crutcher278) Mr. Nak really shows his individual voice in this and shows what he feels like. Chris Crutcher really contributes to how the characters are feeling and what they would say, not what others would say.
Word Choice: I wouldn’t say that Chris Crutchers word choice is the best but its okay. It’s not extraordinary like some other books, but he does have some good words. I don’t think he made it extraordinary because he was aiming for a teenager to read it and teenagers don’t usually get turned on by big words. I really liked this line, not because of the word choice, but because I can just imagine Bo saying it and I can see the expression on Bo’s face while he is saying it. “Jeez, the kid is in kindergarten, and her he is sending psychic penetrations deep into Dad’s soft tissue and looking like Linda Blair getting ready to spin her head around while he’s at it.”(Crutcher159)
Sentence Fluency: The sentences flowed very well together. Chris Crutcher made them sound very well together unless something wasn’t supposed to. When someone was supposed to stumble on words, he still made it sound nice.
Conventions: He used correct spelling and grammar throughout the whole book. I never read anything that sounded in correct. There are times when I thought I did but I just had to re-read and understand it.
Presentation: The presentation is very pleasing and the cover shows what the book is about. The cover catches your eye and you understand in the end why the biker is on the cover.
(research on anger management)
There are a lot of definitions of anger in the dictionary, but there is really one that fits the book Ironman. The dictionary says that anger is a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire. I think that fits the book because a lot of the anger the teenagers have is because of feelings and displeasure in something that is happening in their lives. The dictionary also says that aggression is any offensive action, attack, or procedure; an inroad or encroachment.
Aggression and anger is a very serious thing, especially if people take it out on others. Some Canadian scientists believe there is a key to see of physically aggressive a man is. The scientists say that the shorter the index finger is compared to the ring finger, the more aggressive the man will be. This has not been fully determined if it is true but scientists are studying into it.
Aggression is caused by many things and there is no one specific reason. It can be directed against others or against the person’s self. IF someone has aggression toward themselves, this may mean they are suicidal or they hurt themselves somehow. There are three different types of aggression. One type is Physical aggression. Physical aggression is when someone uses things like pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, kicking, hair- pulling, stabling, shooting and rape. The second kind of aggression is verbal with is when someone would threaten, intimidate others, tease, taunt or name call. The last kind of aggression is indirect aggression. Indirect aggression is when some doesn’t mean to have aggression, for example it is when someone gossips, spreads cruel rumors or someone encourages others to reject someone.
Facts about Aggression-
* One in five students in grades 6 to 10 say they have bullied others in the past year
* One in three high school students say they have been in a fight in the past year
* Between 30 to 40 percent of male teens have committed a serious violent offense( assault, robbery, rape or fights)
* 16 to 32 percent of female teens say they have committed a serious violent offence( assault, robbery, rap or fights)
* Over 1700 youth under the age of 18 were arrested for homicide in 1999
Aggression and anger is a very serious thing, especially if people take it out on others. Some Canadian scientists believe there is a key to see of physically aggressive a man is. The scientists say that the shorter the index finger is compared to the ring finger, the more aggressive the man will be. This has not been fully determined if it is true but scientists are studying into it.
Aggression is caused by many things and there is no one specific reason. It can be directed against others or against the person’s self. IF someone has aggression toward themselves, this may mean they are suicidal or they hurt themselves somehow. There are three different types of aggression. One type is Physical aggression. Physical aggression is when someone uses things like pushing, shoving, hitting, slapping, kicking, hair- pulling, stabling, shooting and rape. The second kind of aggression is verbal with is when someone would threaten, intimidate others, tease, taunt or name call. The last kind of aggression is indirect aggression. Indirect aggression is when some doesn’t mean to have aggression, for example it is when someone gossips, spreads cruel rumors or someone encourages others to reject someone.
Facts about Aggression-
* One in five students in grades 6 to 10 say they have bullied others in the past year
* One in three high school students say they have been in a fight in the past year
* Between 30 to 40 percent of male teens have committed a serious violent offense( assault, robbery, rape or fights)
* 16 to 32 percent of female teens say they have committed a serious violent offence( assault, robbery, rap or fights)
* Over 1700 youth under the age of 18 were arrested for homicide in 1999
(work cited)
Crutcher, Chris. Ironman. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.
“8 Results for: Anger, by Type.” Dictionary.com. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008
Available: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anger
“Finger Length to Aggression, by Type.” BBC News. Online. Internet. 15 Jan.
2008. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4314209.stm
“Aggression, by Type.” Yahoo! Education. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008.
Available: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry
/aggressi
“Facts for Teens: Aggression, by Type.” National Youth Violence Prevention
Resource Center. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008. Available:
http://www.herkimercounty.org/content/Departments/View/11:field=services;/content/DepartmentServices/View/68:field=documents;/content/Documents/File/123.PDF
“8 Results for: Anger, by Type.” Dictionary.com. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008
Available: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anger
“Finger Length to Aggression, by Type.” BBC News. Online. Internet. 15 Jan.
2008. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4314209.stm
“Aggression, by Type.” Yahoo! Education. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008.
Available: http://education.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry
/aggressi
“Facts for Teens: Aggression, by Type.” National Youth Violence Prevention
Resource Center. Online. Internet. 16 Jan. 2008. Available:
http://www.herkimercounty.org/content/Departments/View/11:field=services;/content/DepartmentServices/View/68:field=documents;/content/Documents/File/123.PDF
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