Author: OLAF A.

‘Salem’s Lot Book Update

On By OLAF A.In UncategorizedLeave a comment

‘Salem’s Lot by Steven King is a horror/mystery story about a small town that starts to have a lot of problems flying around when two boys go for a walk in the woods and only one comes out. The book has many interesting characters, and we get to see a little bit of each of them as the book switches perspectives in between them all so that, while the characters might not know what is going on, we the reader are able to piece the puzzle together based on the information that we can gather from the many different points of view that we get. One of the most complex characters in the book is Ben Mears, the main protagonist who the story starts with and seems to revolve around most. He is a dynamic character because of how he changes from when he was younger and more carefree, to being mature and more modest, as well as how he grows to be accustomed to the town since he had just moved in. He is also a round character, in that he shows that he has many different feelings and shows them throughout the book. Ben is an author, and most of his worries revolve around finishing his writing, but he can also make time to have fun with his neighbors, help others out when they need, and be a very responsible person when he needs to be.

Overall, it is a very interesting book, and the characters are very well made. It may take a while before it starts to pick up the action, but it is still a very good read.

I Know What You Did Last Summer-Book Review

On By OLAF A.In Book Review, Coming of Age, Novels1 Comment

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan is a Young-Adult suspense/mystery/coming of age book about four teenagers who find themselves in a struggle for their lives when the horrible secret of “what happened last summer” eventually gets out, and a killer is out for their blood. The story has extremely well written characters, however the horror aspect is quite old and predictable considering the age of the book, which originally came out in 1973 when teen-horror was still relatively fresh. The book hooks readers from the beginning by not mentioning exactly what happened last summer, although it is not difficult to figure out. Then, once the mystery starts to pick up, the events from last summer are revealed, and at this point readers are now interested in how the conflict will be resolved. The book is set in a traditional 70’s town. Not very big, not the kind of place where a killer would be expected, and where each character has their own small desires. (Such as getting a job, going to University, etc.) The most complex characters in the book would be the four main protagonists, who are each unique and go through many dynamic changes throughout the story. The characters are Julie, the one most affected mentally by the accident, Ray, the mature one, Helen, the pretty TV star, and Barry, the cocky football hero. The book slowly build the tension as the killer starts making more and more dangerous moves on the protagonists, however the main internal conflict is the kids decision to keep the accident a secret so that they could resume their lives as normal, though bearing the pain of what they had done. Overall, the book is a great mystery story, and has great characters and good pacing, and is a very good suspenseful read for those who don’t like hardcore horror.

I Know What You Did Last Summer-Characters and Conflicts

On By OLAF A.In Book Update, Characterization1 Comment

I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan is a young-adult suspense/mystery novel about four teenagers who did something last summer, and now are facing the consequences. While this book personally does not induce much fear, it does have great characters and a page-turning mystery to it that never seems to stop going.

The most successful part of this book is certainly the characters, as well as the internal conflicts that they each have. Obviously there is the main conflict of the story, but there are also individual conflicts that are unique to each character, who are all dynamic and round in their own unique ways. One example of these conflicts is with Ray Bronson, a nonathletic, non-popular guy who had big expectations in his life. He moved out of town after the incident, thinking he could get away from it, but it never escaped him and he returned grizzled yet determined to find a way to rid himself of the guilt. Another good example of a rounded character with internal conflicts is Julie James, the first protagonist we meet, who feels the most guilt about the incident, and also is the most impacted by it. She has a weak relationship with a new guy she met, went through a total change of personality after the incident, and has parent issues. All of the characters are very well designed and believable, even if they do fit into certain stereotypes, such as Barry being the Dumb Jock, or Helen being the Pretty Blond Girl. The book is able to make them seem believable and realistic too, not conforming too much into their typical characteristics too much. Overall, the book has great characterization, and every person that we meet feels real and alive. Even if the mystery may seem a bit slow at first, the characters and their own internal conflicts will be able to hook readers right from the beginning.

Fresh Ink:Superhuman-Dynamic Characters Argument

On By OLAF A.In Uncategorized1 Comment

In the Fresh Ink short story “Superhuman,” written by Nicola Yoon, the protagonist Syrita, is tasked with stopping the superhero X from destroying all of humanity. In the story, after much discussion with X, she realizes that her past beliefs that he was an Alien are proven false, and it is revealed that X is just a normal, hurting Human.

In the story, X is a dynamic character, because he shows many different emotions and opinions throughout. During a flashback near the beginning of the story, we see get to see one side of X’s character.

On page 197, X saves Syrita by grabbing her out of the way of a speeding car, and following that Yoon writes: “After a while he stopped their ascent and they’d hovered in the air for a while. ‘You okay?’ He asked.” As we can see here, X is shown to be caring and compassionate towards the character he saved, showing one side of his character as kind and doing what is right.

However, later in the story, we see another side of X, one that is angry and hurting, after he has decided that he will destroy the human race. The text on page 202 reads, “I think i’m supposed to remind you of your humanity.’ ‘But I have no humanity. I’m an alien. Like Superman. You didn’t hear?’ He makes a noise like a laugh, but it is devoid of joy.” In this text, we see X’s real side, the side of him that is hurting and angry that people can’t recognize him as a human. After he brought himself into the world, everybody started to point out his race but also that he probably was an alien like superman and therefore did not have a race, or was even human. This hurt him, and was one of the reasons why he gave up on humanity.

This is why X from the Fresh Ink story “Superhuman” is a dynamic character, on one side he is kind and compassionate, doing what is right to protect others, but on the other side he is angry and hurt that people aren’t able to recognize him as a fellow human being.

Poetry in Music-Mr Blue Sky and The People we Should Be

On By OLAF A.In Music Poetry1 Comment

Mr Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra is one example of poetry in music, telling a short story about how much people love nice weather, but with a deeper hidden meaning of the joy of being around those who make us happy. As the chorus goes: Hey there Mr.Blue/We’re so pleased to be with you/look around see what you do/everybody’s watching you.” On the surface, it seems the lyrics are speaking directly to the sky, about how the nice weather is making everyone happy, but another interpretation is of a relative person, someone who makes us and other people happy by being kind and supportive, and is sort of a narrative of what kind of person we should be.

Another point when the song expresses this is during one of the verses, describing Mr.Night sneaking up behind Mr. Blue and taking his place, followed by the lyrics talking about “remembering” Mr. Blue, as though he has disappeared. On the surface, it appears to simply talk about the change from day to night, but deeper it could reflect people attempting to take over the lives of others, such as bullies or manipulative acquaintances.

In the end, the song is about the kind of people that we should be, people who help others and bring joy into their lives, told through the perspective of the sky.

The Watchmen-Review and Analysis (No Spoilers)

On By OLAF A.In Book Review, Comics, Highly RecommendedLeave a comment

The Watchmen is a graphic novel collection Written by Alan Moore

Alan Moore greatly shows the superhero genre in a way that has not been seen much before, most but one of the characters aren’t actually super, creating an interesting and human dynamic that allows readers to deeply connect with the characters.

Speaking of characters, the book has really greatly developed characterization as well, each character being unique and different from others in a very notable and memorable way, each with their own quirks and talents, covering each area of what a hero could be. There are those who are dark anti-hero vigilantes, those who inherited the act of heroism despite disliking the idea, and those who are treated as celebrities and famous icons.

It also captures the regular life aspect of the characters as well, featuring returning side characters who help to move the story forward without taking part in any heroic or villainous actions, such as the news vendor, who have a fair share of memorable moments as well. The book has no clear protagonist, rather it follows each character as they live in a large metropolitan city.

The book is regarded as one of the best current superhero comics of all time, and it certainly holds up to these standards. It feels memorable, has unique characters, a thematic art style, and well fitted cultural events that can be related to regardless of who the readers are.

8/10, have not finished it yet but am excited to see how it ends. Would recommend.

Batman Zero Year-Secret City

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Batman, Volume 4: Zero Year – Secret City by Scott Snyder

Wonderful art, great characters, smooth and dynamic storytelling, with a healthy dose of action. Very good book. Love the ways that it ties together with the rest of the Batman universe, featuring characters and teases that may not have had much performance yet, but certainly have much to come.

Why The Little Mermaid Presentation was Correct

On By OLAF A.In Course StuffLeave a comment

I agree with “The Little Mermaid” presentation that the Little Mermaid film does feed into a dominant narrative about how women should act and behave, but also how like many other Disney movies made at the time, still shows parts where the dominant narrative is broken to create unique and human characters, such as on Aladdin when Jasmine run’s away to claim independence over her life, or when Pocahontas stands up against John Smith calling her people Savages.