Rapunzel vs The World (Around Us)

Rapunzel and How To Get Any Guy To Like You both represent women as stupid in their texts. They both exemplify women as stupid who don't know how to complete simple tasks. Rapunzel doesn't know how to do something as simple as find someone walking past and tell them that she's stuck in a tower (Because if a Prince is walking past, there must be other people who have been walking past too) and the Author in How To Get Any Guy To Like You demonstrates that women need direction in their personal lives because no girl has ever heard to just 'be yourself.' Both characters in the stories do not do the obvious things that should occur to people, but apparently doesn't apply to women. Both stories teach young girls that they should always wait for guidance and never do anything that wasn't instructed.

How To Get ANY Guy To Like You

This magazine article represents women as:

- Conceited

- Dependant

- Stupid

Firstly, this Magazine represents women as conceited. This magazine epitomises the opinion that women only care about looks and men. Since this whole article is based on 'getting a man,' it demonstrates to everyone (Including young, impressionable girls) that women prioritise dating. The magazine gives tips on how to 'seem' interested in what the men are doing, e.g. talking about NFL.

Secondly, this Magazine article represents women as dependant. The article is about how to get a boy to like you. If women weren't seen as dependant, then why would we need an article like this? There is a whole paragraph in the article about how you shouldn't 'smother' your man. "There's a fine line between being enthusiastic and being a stalker. Inviting yourself to all of his soccer games for the season will just be plain annoying." This magazine is trying to say that women can't/shouldn't be without a guy and that they shouldn't be around them too much because it might term them off. Why are women subjected to reading an article about how to get a man, and then told that they shouldn't spend too much time with him? 

Lastly, this magazine article represents women as stupid. The fact that they made a whole article about the simple steps of going to a party with confidence offends me. If every woman needs an article on how to get a guy to like them, then there is no hope for the world. Stupidity is subjected to women because of the generalisation about girls constantly needing a guy. The magazine also generalises men. Some men love to spend a lot of their time with women, whilst other men don't even like women at all. The magazine doesn't take this into consideration though.

This magazine article represents women as conceited, dependant and stupid because it epitomises the generalisation that women only need a man in their life.

Little Red Cecelia

Peta and I's version of 'Little Red Riding Hood'

Once upon a time there lived in a certain city a little girl, the smartest person who was ever seen. Her mother was excessively hateful to her, for she wished her to be pretty and despised the fact that the girl was smarter than her. The girl had a red coat from target which she adored and wore so often that everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood.

One day her mother, having made some cake pops, said to her, “Go, Little Red Riding Hood, and see how your grandmother is doing, for I hear she has schizophrenia. Take her a few cake pops, and this little pot of botox.”

Little Red Riding Hood objected immediately to go to her grandmother, who lived on the other side of the city, as it was late at night.

“No. I have homework to do and I have to write my debating speech. Also, don’t call me ‘Little,’ that’s demeaning. And my name is Cecelia.”

“Don’t be mean to me, I’m your mother! Please go take this food to her.”

“Can’t you take the food to her tomorrow, it’s not like you work or anything!”

Her mother was so mad that she abandoned her. But, because she was so smart, she signed herself up to public school, got a job, and is now a successful television producer.

Rapunzel: The Silliest Girl in the History of Fiction

How Rapunzel is represented in Rapunzel:

• Weak
• Naive
• Stupid
• Oblivious
• Innocent
• Beautiful
• Sweet

How the Enchantress is represented in Rapunzel:

• Ugly
• Mean
• Rude
• Old
• Cold
• Heartless
• Selfish

In the story of Rapunzel, Rapunzel is given to a wicked Enchantress after her father steals from the Enchantress' garden. At the age of 14, a Prince hears Rapunzel's beautiful singing. He also sees that the Enchantress climbs up the tower using Rapunzel's hair as a ladder. At night, he does the same thing and calls out to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me." Rapunzel (Obviously thinking that it was the Enchantress because a young prince and an old woman apparently sound exactly the same) lets down her hair and is surprised when she sees a young man. He thinks she is so beautiful that he proposes to her and she says yes. But, she wouldn't be able to get down the tower. So, she suggests that every time he sees her, he brings a piece of silk and then eventually she can sew a ladder and they can both escape and get married.

One day, Rapunzel is talking to the Enchantress and says "How come you are so much more heavy than the young prince?"

Rapunzel only had ONE thing to remember! The only thing that Rapunzel had to do was not talk about the Prince to the Enchantress. Yet, being the dumb blond she is, she told the Enchantress.

The Enchantress was so angry that she cut off Rapunzel's hair and Rapunzel was banished to the forest.  Then, that night, the Prince visits to see Rapunzel again. He says "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me." and the Queen, who is in the tower, lets down Rapunzel's hair that she previously cut off.

When he reached the top of the tower, the Queen explained to the Prince that Rapunzel is gone and he will never see her again. The Prince is so sad that he throws himself out of the tower. He somehow survives but the thorns at the bottom of the tower pierce his eyes and he becomes blind. He roams around the forest for a few years until he hears a beautiful voice singing.

And, guess what? It's Rapunzel! What a plot twist!

So, she recognises him and she's so overwelmed that she cries. Oh, and by this time she's had a pair of twins, a boy and a girl. I wonder how that happened. Anyway, her tears somehow fall into the Prince's eyes and suddenly he can see again! What a miracle!

He takes her to his kingdom and get married.

And they lived happily ever after. The end.

The Book Thief Update

I have just started reading a book called 'The Book Thief.'

This novel is narrated by 'Death' and is about his adventures and run-ins with a young girl called Leisel. Set in 1939, German (World War Two), the first few pages of the book is Death talking about the three times he observed her. The first time was when her brother died on a train, and Leisel and her Mother had to bury him. This was the first time that the Book Thief came to life. She found a book that was on the ground and decided to take it on the trip with her to her new foster family in Munich, Germany.

The second time he meets her is when she sees that a plane is crashed, and Leisel and her brother give the dead Pilot a smiling teddy bear. Death seems to be even more intrigued by her.

The third and last time that Death meets Leisel is inevitably when she dies. She is playing on the street when a bomb is dropped and she dies. She is still only very young. Death seems to be more upset than any of the other people whom he has to take their souls.

Now that he has very briefly explained the three times that he meets Leisel, he is now going back and explaining in great detail the three events that have happened.

I'm at page 26 and I hope to get to at least 60 by the end of the weekend.

Anna Vs Ruby

Today in English, we were given the opportunity to explore further into the discussion of heroism by pairing up and comparing two strong female characters.

Peta had chosen Ruby from Ruby Redford and I had chosen Anna from My Sister's Keeper. There was  a big difference in the way the two females were portrayed. I have personally read both books, and so I found it easy to compare the two characters because they were so different.

Anna is a shy and quiet girl who is not taken seriously at the start of the book and therefore needs to become mentally stronger and more capable with maturity.

Ruby is a confident, strong girl who gets into sticky situations with the 'big mouth' of hers. She is constantly getting herself and other people out of trouble, even her enemy!

Similarities between Anna and Ruby:

- Both around the same age

- Both have an 'average/tomboyish' look

Differences between Anna and Ruby:

- Their confidence levels

- The way they present themselves

- The activities they do

- The way adults treat them

- How they represent themselves.

I feel that Ruby is a great role model to young women because she treats adults with respect and is respected in return. She is confident with herself, but still humble at the same time. Anna is a great example to show young girls how that they can flourish from a shy and 'wallflower'-type person to be an independent woman who can be confident with herself.

Heroism Book Recommendation

I am tasked with recommending a good book and a strong female character who is heroic and a large part of the book.

My Sister's Keeper is a great book about love, loss and fighting for what you believe in.

Not only are there incredible twists and turns within the book, but I found that I loved how the Point Of Views changed within each chapter. Anna would be narrating one chapter, and her father would narrating the next.

The reason why I think that this book would be a great choice, is because there is not only one, but three strong, female characters to choose from. Anna, Kate and their Mother.

I would personally choose their Mother, Sara. She is conflicted between choosing her youngest daughter's freedom, her son's expression or her eldest daughter's life. A tough decision which makes me think 'How could anyone ever do this' and it helps establish a relationship with the audience immediately.

My Sister's Keeper is a great choice for an Oral because the complexity and expression of the book is great to read and to talk about. Love and loss are two emotions that people, especially teenage girls, can relate to and comprehend the book further into discussion, even after the oral.

I did an oral presentation in Grade 8 on the book, and I think that it went off really well with the audience, leaving them feeling emotional.

Anna (My Sister's Keeper) Heroism Review

Year 10 English

Term 1 – Representations of women

In analyzing the representation of women in a text, you should consider the following questions. Not every question may be applicable to every text. Give some thought to which are the most important.

1. What does she look like? Pay particular attention to the question of whether she is considered beautiful.

• ·     -She is an ‘average young girl’
• ·     Brown hair and brown eyes
• ·      Typical ‘tom boy’
• ·      She would be considered ‘normal’
• ·      Possibly considered as a ‘nerd’

2. How old is she?

She is 13 years old.

3. Is she in a position of power or not?

• ·      She was under the control of her parents
• ·      The story is about how she became a position of power
• ·      She is struggling to make adult decisions when in the position of power

4. What does she do?

• ·      She is very mature
• ·      She is young and tries to act older
• ·      She is independent and strong
• ·      She refuses to give into social pressure

5. What are her personal characteristics?

• ·      She is shy but has very powerful thoughts and confident in her mind
• ·      She dresses casually, which wouldn’t be considered beautiful

6. What happens to her?

• ·      She starts to become distant with her family
• ·      Her actions cause tension within her family
• ·      She becomes more pressure and unsure about her future

7. How do males react to her?

• ·      Older males are surprised by her maturity and confidence

8. How do other females react to her?

• ·      Other females are impressed by her maturity
• ·      They are either very happy or very angry about her

9. Is she punished or rewarded by the story? What is she punished or rewarded for?

• ·      She is ultimately rewarded in the story by gaining the rights to divorce her parents
• ·      She is rewarded with respect gained from her sister

10. How is she punished or rewarded?

• ·      She is rewarded by winning the law suit and divorcing her parents
• ·      But, she is ultimately punished as she dies in a car accident and her sister gets her organs

11. What qualities are privileged – What qualities are presented positively?

• ·      Beauty
• ·      Intelligence
• ·      Courage
• ·      Independence
• ·      Confidence