What I think each character symbolizes

In "The Golden Compass", each character is very special and unique. To me, they each represent a little part of the world, and, even if this wasn't intentionally done by Phillip Pullman, is something that I enjoy seeing develop as I further my journey with this book.

The protagonist of the book, Lyra, symbolizes a snake to me. She is always around, waiting for an opportunity to make her move, and prove herself. For example, when Lyra has the alethiometer, and her "mentor", Farder Coram, is struggling to read it, Lyra is able to finally prove herself. It is almost as if she reveals herself from the shadows and becomes incredibly successful. Farder Coram actually says "Tell me what you're doing" because he is frustrated that Lyra can understand the alethiometer and he can't.

Farder Coram, on the other hand, is like a turtle. Turtles have always symbolized wisdom, and Farder Coram is a wise man. He soaks in all of the information, and if he doesn't understand something, he hides away under his shell of shame like a turtle.

Finally, we come to Mrs. Coulter. She is like a dove. So elegant, so graceful, yet always getting in the way and being annoying. It seems like she is everywhere, just like a dove. She manages to come across as a nice woman, and then throws that persona away to reveal her true self.

Why I Chose to Read "The Golden Compass", and First Thoughts

After "The Shack", I wanted a book that would actually keep me entertained. I searched and searched and searched and finally came across "The Golden Compass". I'd heard so many good things about this book. I heard that it was intriguing, that it pulled the reader in, and that it had a good plot. I also heard that there was a movie affiliated with this book, and, since I love movies but always try to read the book first, I decided to pick this up.

After reading about 130 pages of the book (seems like a lot, but really isn't), I must say that I am intrigued. There was a fantastic buildup to the book: Not much action, but you can't expect that in the first few pages of a book. Phillip Pullman, the author of the book, has baffled me with some of the plot twists that have already happened. I like the fantasy that has been incorporated into the book, and the author uses a variety of syntax and diction, such as saying "I en't" to show the ghetto talk of the characters. As I continue reading this book, I hope to continue experiencing these feelings of surprise that have come with the book. Hopefully the plot will continue to build the way it has, and I can't wait to see how the story progresses. One of the things about this book that really intrigued was the first sentence of the book, "Lyra and her daemon moved through the darkening hall, taking care to keep to one side, out of sight of the kitchen" (Pullman, 1). This line made me want to continue reading the book, to see why they were keeping to one side, and who was out of the kitchen.

Book Review for "The Shack"

"The Shack" was a book that I was very excited to start reading. Now that I have finished it, I must say that I am disappointed. I went into the book expecting a nice mystery novel, with a lot of suspense and a lot of adventure. William Paul Young did not, at least to me, deliver in this book.

One of the things that irked me was that religion was the biggest topic of the book. I don't know why an author, or why a publishing company would advertise the book so as to make it seem like a mystery novel. Nowhere on the cover of the book, or in the description of the book, is it explained that the majority of the book discusses God and religious beliefs and whatnot. When you get to the point in the novel where God, Jesus, and Sarayu are introduced, you can't help but feel your heart sink like the Titanic. How could a book that had such a good beginning (good start of a mystery) turn out to be nothing but religious talk for the next 200 pages?

Granted, the book would be enjoyable if you are incredibly religious. It touches on some of the fundamental laws of Christianity, and really would make you more of a believer than you already are. It would definitely hit home if that's what your life is devoted to... If not, put down the book and choose something else.

Yes, the book is fictional. But the way the author writes it makes it seem as this man is really experiencing something that he's obviously not. If the book was about a topic that isn't so widespread, and is a completely original topic, I would be okay with the fact that everything is completely unrealistic. This, however, is a little overboard with everything.

*SPOILER ALERT*
C'mon now. You're going to put the protagonist in a position where he has no choice but to have a reconciliation with his dad? You're going to have God, for God's sake, looking over him while he looks into his father's eyes and apologizes? This particular event really annoyed me, and as emotional as it is, it is not something that I personally enjoyed reading.

This book is intended for Christians. If you are not Christian, but you want a spiritual story, then this book is for you, too. I'd give this book a 4/10 because it was written about something I am not passionate about.

Diction and Syntax in "The Shack"

           William Young does his best to vary the diction and syntax that is used throughout this book. He uses a lot of informal diction to show how the holy characters in this book are attempting to relate to a normal man. One such example of this would be when "Papa", AKA God, is speaking to Mack, the normal man in the book, "I'm not asking you to believe anything..." (Young, 119). Instead of demanding that Mack stop being so narrow-minded, God uses simple words such as "asking" to show that she isn't asking anything of Mack. She is trying to let Mack know that she is on his side, and this contributes to the overall theme of this story, which is "Love should be showed in every way possible". Another type of diction that is used is the story is abstract diction. The main word that stands out is "love". This word is used over and over again, and becomes so repetitious that after seeing it, you can't help but wonder if it is truly being felt by the characters.

Syntax is another tool that is used by William Young. He uses long, explanatory sentences whenever God is trying to show Mack something about religion and the world. He uses short to medium length sentences whenever informal discussion is taking place. In the entire book, maybe one or two sentences have less than five words, which shows that this book really is philosophical and requires long sentences for all of the information.

As the aforementioned paragraphs show, Young is a versatile author with a lot to offer in the language arts department. He uses different diction and syntax to get his point across to the audience, and he also uses it to show the tone and style with which he writes.

Krista Ramsey -- "Dear new mom, welcome to a loving group"

       In "Dear new mom, welcome to a loving group", Krista Ramsey discusses moms. She goes through the ins and outs of being a mom, and what it takes to have that desired quality of a "good mother".

Link to the great mom article

"Willingness to hold, talk to, read to, listen to, protect and love their child means everything" (Ramsey, Paragraph 6) is the line I chose because it really changed the dynamic of the column for me. Ramsey does a good job with describing some of the things that she's noticed has made a difference between good mothers and bad mothers. I like that she used the word "willingness" because it shows that the mother cares so much that she is willing to do all of this stuff, and to make all of these sacrifices. Also, all of the commas truly show all of the qualities that a good mother has to have.

Ramsey is a very day-to-day life type of writer. All of the topics that she writes about have some type of relation to her readers. In the first article, she mentions "what all that screen time is doing.." to relate to her readers. In the second article, she writes about "Super Bowl QBs" whom everyone know about. And the "love and affection" that moms need is something that all kids are familiar with! I have had a great time reading about and of Krista Ramsey!

1. Why did you want to become a writer?

2. How long does it take to write a publish-worthy article?

3. Were you a good student growing up?

How YOU can relate to "The Shack"

       Mackenzie Allen Phillips, the protagonist in this novel, has come to a point in his life where everything needs to make sense in order for him to live. He has come face to face with God. He has looked into the eyes of Jesus. He has questioned their judgment. But why? What loyal, active Christian would possibly have the courage, or even the guts, to look the one they worship in the eyes and tell them that they "don't get it"? Some of you can probably make this connection as well. At times in your life, you have a breakdown. You ponder about the meaning of life. Why do certain things happen? Who has the right to take the life of another? Why doesn't God help? You think that there is no way to escape from your sorrows. Maybe, like Mack, "The Great Sadness" has taken control of your life and you can't stop it. You want to change, you want to feel better, but you just can't.

Well, just take a visit to "The Shack". The religious viewpoint on dealing with your problems is discussed with tremendous detail here. Not only can you use this book to deal with your own problems, but you can use it to make everything in your life happier with the power of God. Millions of Christians, upon reading this book, will love it and cherish everything that it has to say. It truly does show the power of Christ.

How "The Shack" surprised me

 I'm about 130 pages into this book, and I must say, I cannot believe the turn that this book has taken. In my first post, I made a hypothesis that this book would be a mystery, and in the beginning, it was a mystery. However, now it is just about religion, and Jesus, and Christianity. I don't like how everything that is discussed in this book is about Christianity. When William Young introduced "Jesus", "Papa", who is supposed to be God, and "Sarayu", the Holy Spirit, I was taken aback. I'm not sure whether or not I like the direction this book is headed. As I read on, I hope that all this talk of religion will stop, because I am not personally religious, but if it continues, this book might just become another one of those "Good thing gone bad" type of novels. One thing that really annoyed me was the sudden appearance of Jesus: "'Mack,' said Jesus. I have come for you" (Young, 126). It's appaling that suddenly, out of nowhere, Jesus can come and take Mack to this holy place where his daughter was murdered. Another thing that really annoyed me was how confused Mack seemed. If he got a letter from God, why wouldn't he expect to see Jesus?