Adam's Hunger Games Essay

By: Adam Trillwood

There are many stories that depict a sort of post-apocalyptic environment, or one of a sort of arena, where the protagonist has to fight through countless challenges/challengers in order to confront the antagonist. Prime examples of where these elements come into play are The Hunger Games series as well as the Pendragon series, more specifically the first installment of the hunger games, and the 8^th book in the Pendragon series, the Quillan Games. How Pendragon can be compared to both the Hungers Games, the book and the movie, can be brought on by their differences as well as their similarities, but also with how some of the characters act. After reading both of these novels and seeing the movie, one may ask as to which of the three is the most brutal in terms of what is meant to be done, as well as the consequences. I will demonstrate why my opinion rests on the book of The Hunger Games to be the most brutal of them all.

(I’ll be referring to the Book of The Hunger Games as “The Hunger Games (B)” And the movie to be “The Hunger Games (M)”.)

The Quillan Games and The Hunger Games, both the book and movie, are wonderfully crafted and made to make you feel as if you’re either watching the dreadful games up close or in the action yourself. Despite this, there are some key differences that can be made between the three. One of which being that The Hunger Games (B) is far darker than the other two, as it pulls you in to the point as you would fear for the outcome of the characters like Katniss or Peeta, and continue reading just to ensure yourself that they’ll either make it to the next chapter/book, or are ok at that exact moment and you can bear to put the book down. Even though The Hunger Games (B) is far darker, the Quillan Games has a very strange environment surrounding its games. The Quillan Games are actually loved by many as a great form of entertainment, as well as the winners of nearly every single round, as they are compensated for their victory. As well as this, the following, leading to the relation of the antagonist of the plot of the Pendragon series leading up to the Quillan Games is done fantastically. It is brought as (since the main antagonist has the ability to shape shift in order to change the decisions of the people of that particular world to bend to his will) the main villain actually being one of the participants of the games, but a sort of unbeatable (nearly)/unkillable opponent, and even after the protagonist beats him in combat, but then does not kill him, directly after that is the reveal of the true darkness of the games.

Despite the many differences that the three have between each other, there are actually a lot of similarities that are brought to fruition throughout the stories told. These range from the simple fact that they are all games of which people are forced to fight for their lives following into the discovery that the games are all bent to the will of the main antagonist, to some of the less noticeable things. Both protagonists feel out of place/strange being a part of the games, and want nothing more than the games to simply not exist, as it would allow them to protect their loved ones. The games are all under full control of a sort of government that the population cannot fight against simply due to a full lack of money, or a will to fight the figures of power, being The Hunger Games’ “Capitol” and the Quillan Games’ “Blok” (, and both antagonists are even old people!). In turn, as the stories themselves end, despite what efforts can be brought in order to try to affect how the games play out, in the current situations, the protagonists of the stories are powerless to stop the games from continuing to destroy all the hopes and dreams of countless people on every outcome.

The characters of The Hunger Games and The Quillan Games can actually be linked together from key characteristics, as well as compared through some key points as to their wills to stop the games as well as the strengths and weaknesses they show. Katniss (Hunger Games) can be compared to Bobby (Bobby Pendragon, the protagonist of the 10 books in the series) through their original entrance to the games to be different, as Katniss volunteers to protect her own family, as Bobby joins the games in order to avenge someone who was believed to be a very important person to him on the world of Quillan.

They both rise to the challenge, and are able to successfully conquer the games, but are not able to stop the power behind the games. The governments behind the games (Blok of Pendragon & Capitol of Hunger Games) are nearly identical as they both simply take in the people without a concern of their wellbeing for the games, and simply send them in for either the enjoyment of the people (Pendragon) or to teach them a lesson (Hunger Games). Even though they are similar, Capitol reigns supreme with the cruelty, as they consistently take children/teenagers and send them into a forest with the goal of simply having them all slaughter each other, while Blok simply takes the grown men/women and pit them against each other in organized events that only then they fight one on one to the death. The antagonists, President Snow (Hunger Games) and Saint Dane (Pendragon), although President Snow is not known to be the villain until late into the story, they are both depicted as sadistic, yet elegant monsters. They have the true hand of cruelty, but it’s swung with grace, as to make the defeat of their enemies calm and sophisticated, yet to afterward simply rejoice in the cruel and inhumane destruction of their foes.

The Pendragon Series is fantastic, and the Quillan games is just one example of how and organized government treats what they believe to be a simple sport turned into an organized method of murder, with the people powerless to stop them. The Hunger Games(M), although it demonstrates similarly to the book, The Hunger Games(B) truly sends shivers down the spines of the reader, the detail of the death of the many competitors of the games being nearly gruesome, yet at the same timed calmly detailed, as if the author would channel the antagonist whenever it would be time to describe such a thing. Despite there being many similarities and differences between the three, my point of the book stands. The book combines perfectly what Pendragon did fantastically and what the movie excelled in and turned it into a work or art, through the true emotional rollercoaster that is the book of The Hunger Games.

Zack's grade 12 English Lit American Dream Assignment

The American Dream

            The American Dream by Edward Albee demonstrates how people misconstrued “the American Dream”, and how they will go to any length to achieve this false idea in their heads, thinking happiness will arrive once they achieve the “picture perfect” life. He shows how twisted this thinking is, how the reality of it is so far from a dream. The “American Dream” is family values, wholesome love and the idea that hard work can get you anywhere. The family in this play is trying to achieve this, trying to move forward but is actually moving in the opposite direction. They kill a child in the name of the “American Dream”, and treat each other with immoral passion. The wife is constantly talking down to the husband who is ridden to a wheelchair, then justifying it to herself; “… or a husband who sat in a wheel chair all day… OOOH! What have I said? What have I said?” not only is the husband verbally assaulted by the wife, but the grandmother is as well; “Now, you be good grandma, or you know what will happen to you, You’ll be taken away in a van.” As made evident by this play, one can see that this disillusioned idea of the “American Dream” only breed’s dysfunction and hatred toward one another.

Danielle's gr 12 English Still I Rise paragraph

The poem “Still I Rise” is about the poet herself, Maya Angelou. She
is writing about how no one can ever bring her down no matter what she
does. She will continue doing what she likes and being who she is no
matter what anyone thinks about it. Maya has famously said, in an
interview “If you don’t like something change it. If you can’t change
it, change your attitude.”  In the poem, she also is referring to
racism.  In the second last verse, it says: “Out of the huts of
history's shame
I rise
up/ From a past that's rooted in pain
I rise”
This means that she comes from her ancestor’s huts in Africa, and even
though she lives in the US, it represents what she and her ancestors
have been through by fighting for their rights.
In the poem it also says “You may shoot me with your words,/You may
cut me with yours eyes,/You may kill me with your hatefulness,/But
still, like air, I’ll rise. That would be an example of this. A
literacy device that is being used here is a hyperbole. The poet uses
hyperbole because although it talks about being shot, in reality a
person cannot shoot anyone with their words. As well it says you may
cut me with your eyes. One can give people dirty looks and stare them
down but there is no way to cut anyone with your eyes. The reason the
author used this technique is because she is writing about how angry
she is about people trying to put her down. “That I dance like I've
got diamonds,/
At the meeting of my thighs” this is a metaphor. She is
talking about how every part of her is special. Although people may
treat her as though she’s not important, she knows deep down that she
is.

Adira's final grade nine essay!

In both of these texts, in the novel Break Every Rule, and in the television show Gossip Girl, the main themes are friendship and jealousy. Jealousy ultimately serves to play a role in pulling the friendships and relationships apart, Usually with the help of outsiders, their friendship is almost destroyed, but in the end their friendships survive because the people involved really care about each other deep inside. The tensions between characters also serve to highlight the problems between them, and even give characters an excuse to acknowledge their issues.

 In the novel Break Every Rule there is a group of boys who have been friends since they were young children. There is Arno the “It” boy of the group, Jonathan, has an amazing girlfriend but let’s jealousy get to him, Arno, Jonathans European stepbrother who is a evil person, and David a classic nerd who gets pushed into being someone he’s not. They all are fighting over who gets the title of "Hottest Private School Boy." It becomes even more complicated when Arno wins and the boys become either jealous of him or are forced to become his sidekick. When Rob, an outsider who is also Jonathan's European stepbrother comes to visit, he tries to pull the boys friendship apart. They end up having serious miscommunication and jealousy issues with each other. Jonathan becomes jealous of Arno and starts to feel like an outsider He is worried that Flan his girlfriend is cheating on him with David, David who was kind of a nerd, was hanging out with Arno and part of Arno’s “In” group; "David was cooler then me now and Flan would like him better." In the end everyone who started being friends with Arno when he became “HPSB” forgets about him, he feels used by the girls who were always around when he was “The cool kid.” Flan and Jonathan break up, they still love each other but Flan was mad that Jonathan didn’t trust her and that there were so many miscommunications with each other. “The last couple of weeks have been like this: full of the exquisite agony of a thousand little fights and misunderstandings.” Everyone in the book soon realizes that they all still care deeply about each other and that Rob and outsiders were trying to pull them apart. The boys soon discover that all of this wouldn’t have happened if they had communicated with each other.

Miscommunication plays a huge role in the troubles of this book. The boys become frustrated with each other because they feel like the other one is too busy being “Cooler” and with “Cooler people” than the other one. When Jonathan found David and Flan whispering he assumed that they were cheating with each other but what also played a role was his insecurity about not feeling like he was hot and popular enough. "I couldn't believe he got to meet celebrities and get photographed and written about. And then I realized that David was cooler than I was now, Maybe Flan would like him more than me. There was something not right about that little scene, them whispering out in the hallway." Since assuming this he starting giving David the cold shoulder "You better drink this up, and then get out of my apartment as fast as you can." Since Jonathan was rude to David, he jumped at the opportunity to fight back at Jonathan. Rob came to David looking to destroy Jonathan his Stepbrother; "David I'm making this my number one priority, right after the Hot School Boy party. Flan will be yours again!" Even though David didn't even have feelings for Flan anymore. David still went along with it because; "Thinking about the way Jonathan had completely abandoned him, and how he'd asked David to leave his house that night… well, David felt like this might just be what he deserved." Really Rob is just trying to tear the boys friendship apart. "I'm just working on my scrapbook, want to see…" Rob showed Jonathon a scrapbook of David and Flan together starting at one end of the room and making their way towards each other; "The pictures kept getting closer and closer like a horrible flip book… until Flan was sitting on David’s lap” If the boys would have just sat down and talked about what was happening everything would have been avoided. Jonathan and David realized that it was a total miscommunication. They realized that they needed each other and it wasn't worth fighting over. One of the major miscommunications with David and Jonathan is When they were at a club Jonathan saw David run out of the room; “If I needed any more proof that David was really and truly after my girl-then I got it Friday night, when he ran out of the lounge at 66 Thomson at the very sight of me and Flan together.” Really what happened was David was upset at Rob for saying something so rude and so he wouldn’t seem uncool he left the room, and didn’t see Jonathan and Flan.

Arno who was nominated “Hottest Private School Boy” started acting entitled and as if he was greater than the other boys; "I don't even want to know, its like I need an intern to manage my social calendar.” He starts putting the other boys down and making them feel like he was better than his friends; “He didn’t think that he was an average guy, but it was hotter to shrug off his new celebrity.”

He hangs around with 3 girls; Mimi, Sadie and Lizzie. “She was pretty, in the same way the It Girls were pretty. She had long, straight blond hair with shiny skin two shades darker than her hair…all the girls seemed plastic and identical.”

The girls follow Arno everywhere. Arno seems to thinks that they actually like him until, He figures out that they were having a competition, which one of them could “Hook up with him most while still on the newsstand.” The day after his party when he tries to call the girls they didn’t answer. Arno finally realizes that when the HPSB issues go out so does he; “It was the Hottest Private School Boy issue, lots of them, wrapped up and put at the curb to be recycled. They hadn’t escaped the rain.”

At the end of the book, the boy’s realize that Rob is a terrible and manipulative person who would do anything for fame and fortune. Jonathan’s mom, who is also Rob’s stepmom, tells him that Rob set David up to look like he stole her credit card and Rolodex. but Just as the police came to arrest him one of the officers said “this is utterly beneath contempt, but at the same time it’s…. very, well, it’s very impressive”. Just as she said this, Rob couldn’t handle someone else getting the credit that he burst out that he did it and got arrested instead.  “Yes, it seems he fancied himself something of a party promoter. Rob my ATM card and my Rolodex, and he took out quite a bit of money to finance his schemes of nightlife glory.”

Miscommunication plays a big part in this episode of the television show Gossip girl. The main problem is that Serena thinks that her best friend Blair is having an affair with her ex boyfriend Dan. She’s insulted that they think she would be upset if she found out, which, she would be but doesn’t want to admit. Another problem brewing is that the society women start to gang up on Lily, Serena’s mother because she under house arrest, for committing fraud and obstruction of justice. It’s clear that all these problems come have the same theme; they don’t want to talk about it; "Wait, you want me to TALK to her about my suspicions? That's not how we DO things on the Upper East Side!"

 In the beginning Serena and Charlie try and find out if Blair and Dan are having an affair, Which all would have been avoided if they had just asked her straight out and had more trust in their friendship. Serena assumes that her friends are together just like Jonathan assumed Flan and David were having an affair. Serena and Jonathan clearly are using these imaginary affairs as an excuse to acknowledge the problems in their relationship. When Serena finds out that Blair has a date with Prince Louise, who she met in Paris. Serena is relieved but we see that doesn’t last long. At the end of the episode she and Blair have a falling out. Blair makes a plan to kiss Dan so that Prince Louise doesn’t have to get sent back. Serena sees this and get upset again. Blair explains why she did it but Serena doesn’t believe her, Blair says, “You prefer when you’re the one in the spotlight…. You could have a taste of what its like to be in my shadow for once.” We see that at the end Serena calls another royal whom she met in Paris. Clearly she does feel the need to always upstage Blair.

Meanwhile at the Pink party where Blair and Dan kiss there is another problem brewing. Before the party Society women stand lily up when they were suppose to come to her apartment to put gift bags together and then Nate’s mother has the nerve to ask if she can have the food Lily ordered sent to the new venue. But then Rufus, Lily’s husband wants to get the Pink party moved to their apartment by using minor blackmail. Lily is so pleased but meanwhile the society women are whispering about her and “Toasting to [her] misfortune.” In the end Lily shuts down her own party by getting the police involved.

What we learn here is that no matter what, mean people come in many shapes and sizes, with multiple opinions and ways that they bully. Mean people are everywhere and anywhere.

Adam's song comparison paragraph

Comparison: Lights VS Trouble is a Friend

Something that I can compare greatly between the two songs would be the comparison between the darkness of Lights & the idea of trouble from Trouble is a friend. In my opinion, they do contrast quite well. While the idea of the dark is meant to be fearful in Lights, trouble is brought on as more of a less-than-kind friend. Although it’s a difference, a great similarity can be found in the theme of the songs, there being that both trouble & the dark are sort of these ominous things that we don’t know 100% what to expect from them, and they can range from good to bad, but it’s still best to avoid them.

Trouble is a friend links to Lights through the line of; “He's there in the dark, he's there in my heart, He waits in the wings, he's gotta play a part Trouble is a friend, yeah trouble is a friend of mine” and “You show the lights that stop me turn to stone You shine it when I'm alone And so I tell myself that I'll be strong And dreaming when they're gone”. In my opinion, the connection links through the darkness leading to a sort of loneliness. This theme is the major component of the songs, and why I really like them so much, because they both play out so well.

Danielle's Legend of the Shopaholic

The Legend of the Shopaholic

Once upon a time there was a girl named Emily. Emily lived with her family. She had two sisters and a mother and father. Emily’s parents did their best to support for the family but could only do so much. Emily’s parents both worked. Her mother worked part time at the bank, and her father worked full time at a local convenient store. Emily’s parents were never really around much as they both worked. Her father worked through the night quite often as that was one of the busiest times at the store. Emily always sought more attention from her parents for that reason. One day, while Emily was at the mall, looking around a casual clothing store, a girl came up to her. They starting talking about the knit red sweater they were both looking at. From this point on Emily and the girl whose name was Lucy really bonded. Soon after that day at the mall Emily and Lucy got together again. This time Lucy introduced Emily to all of her friends. Emily wasn’t used to these kinds of girls, as they came from a more wealthy background than Emily and her friends. As time went on, Emily started hanging out with Lucy and her friends more and more. Eventually Emily became very good friends with them. Every time Emily and her new friends got together all they would do was shop. It was as if they were feeding off each other’s shopping habits. Each shopping trip would consist of each kid spending at least two thousand dollars. This made Emily run out of money really quickly. Going out with her friends made her feel quite pressured to buy what she couldn’t afford. Emily’s mother one day came home from the bank very nervous with a disappointed look in her eyes. Emily’s mother then sat her down and talked to her about how while she was working at the bank that day she looked up Emily’s visa record to make sure everything was going smoothly as it was only to be used for emergencies. Since they didn’t have very much money they kept the limit to a maximum of one hundred dollars a month. Emily’s mother then went on to say that Emily’s had completely exceeded her amount on the card and she had now gone on to over draft. Emily had spent money she did not have. At this point, Emily was in a panic. She knew she had spent a lot of money but as she always used her Visa. She did not realize it had gotten to this point. As well, Emily borrowed money from friends that she had not paid back yet. Emily did not want her mother to find out because she would even more disappointed. At this point in time Emily did not know what she was going to do she had absolutely no money. As time passed, Emily eventually had to stop going shopping with her friends all together. She was to tempted to buy things, and when she didn’t buy anything she felt quite embarrassed. But giving up shopping was not enough. Emily had to find away to make money so she could pay off her visa and repay her friends for everything she had already bought. One morning, Emily woke up and it hit her she should just sell everything if not most things she had bought. Emily would make enough money to get out of dept and maybe even make a little cash on the side for herself although this time she would know not to spend it and to keep it. That weekend Emily’s family helped Emily to put together a giant yard sale with everything she had to sell. Just as Emily had hoped, with all the advertising her family and her had put together for this sale, everything was selling. Emily had been so preoccupied with putting this sale together she hadn’t even thought about what her friends would think when they found out soon enough, Emily’s friends showed up very confused. They wanted to know why Emily was selling everything she had bought with them, and why she had stopped going shopping with them. They felt very insulted by Emily because she abandoned them. Emily then decided that it was time for them to know the truth. At that moment, Emily came clean to them about everything. Emily explained that while her family was in a comfortable financial situation they were not as wealthy as the rest of them, and she couldn’t afford to buy everything that they all can which has put her into debt. She went on to tell them that with this yard sale she would now able to pay them back. After Emily told them everything, and there were no more secrets to be shared, the girls were all very understanding. They told Emily that they wished she would have just been honest with them from the beginning as they could have found different things to do other than shopping. From that point on, Emily starting hanging out with her friends again. She felt comfortable they would now do a variety of things like going bowling, going to amusement parks, and just hanging out and watching movies at one of their houses. Emily was no longer a shopaholic, she had real friends and was happy.