Blog Post #10: Eragon

     Eragon is different from the traditional character because usually, a choice is made, and the character is reluctant to make that choice. However the essence of Eragon is his childlike obliviousness during the acceptance of his quest, and how he grows into the person the quest entailed.
     The herald is also slightly unusual, because she is a human, but makes no contact with Eragon. The story begins with a chase between beasts called Urgal's, and a shade. They are chasing a group of Elves, one of which is named Aria, and is carrying a stolen dragons egg, intended to give to the next person capable of being a dragon rider, who would then be the only hope in their land.
      She is surrounded and sends the dragons egg as far away as she can think of, into a field, where, ironically Eragon is hunting.
       He is fascinated by the mysterious blue rock, but only the money that could be made off of it. He takes it home, and outs it on its shelf, where it later hatches into a baby dragon, (Eragon was pretty freaked out when that happened.) When the baby hatches, he reaches out to touch it, and is blacked out for a few hours and wakes up to a spirally scar on the palm of his hand. This is important because it is the moment where he 'Accepts the quest'.
      A dragon is not born often, and when it is, it is born with one human mate, and it will never hatch until it makes contact with this mate. When Eragon took the rock from the field he made it possible for the egg to hatch, but the moment where he first touched the newborn baby he became tethered to it until either of them died. It isn't until Eragon finds a mentor that he discovers all of these things and realizes that he has accepted a quest that means being the last living dragon rider besides his opponent and single handedly save the people in his country.

   "Tentatively, he reached out with his right hand and touched its flank. A blast of icy energy surged into his hand and raced up his arm, burning in his veins like liquid fire." ..... "His hand was numb, his fingers paralyzed. Alarmed, he watched as the middle of his palm shivered and formed a diffused white oval. The skin itched and burned like a spider bite."

This is the moment when Eragon gets the Gedwey igaesia, the symbol of a dragon rider.

Blog post #8: It's Kind Of A Funny Story

The book I'm reading right now is called Kind Of A Funny Story. Its kind of depressing, but I think it is a good example of this stage in the hero's journey. This character goes through many different stages in his journey. The book is about a boy suffering from depression, because he finds stress everywhere. One of the main reasons that is making all the stress he has harboured blow up in his face is because of a summer school application he has to fill out. To him his admittance means the difference between whether or not he succeeds. If he gets into summer school he gets into a good school gets a good job, has a good house, has enough retirement money and gets a good girlfriend. He is horrified by the idea that his application might not be whathe needs to get in, because if it isnt, it all falls apart from there. Now its just a few weeks before its due, he hasn't even started, his stress over everything has him suicidal and he can't stomach food without puking. His best friend smokes pot and has the girl he wants, his parents have basically no idea how bad his depression is, and the idea of leaving his super genius sister to deal with his mess keeps him from killing himself. One night he tries to jump offof the brooklyn bridge but decides to go to the emerge instead. He is eager to leave his ordinary world and fix himslef. All he wants is to get better. Then he's admitted into the psych ward and he discovers the strange people there and realizes he doesn't want to be classified as one of them. He doesn't want to be the one with the serious depression. He tries to leave but they dont let him, so technically he is both willing, and reluctant to begin his journey.

Blog post #7-8: Stargirl

What is it about Stargirl that fascinates the students of Mica High yet repulses them at the same time? When many of the students began to copy her and she became popular it was not the reaction I expected. Why do you think that they reacted this way?
   I think that the Mica High students are fascinated by stargirl because she has the bravery to show the parts of her that everyone else hides and hates about themselves. She acts like a five year old because she didn't grow up experiencing the world, or judgement, she was home schooled. Stargirl is innocent, and oblivious to other people talking behind her back because it is a completely new concept to her that people might not like her be causes she is different. In a way, Stragirl is more grown up than everyone else combined because everything that is high school is just childish. Stargirl sees everything that goes on around her and sees all the happiness and beautiful things that everyone else walks past. She dedicates her life to making others lives better. Stargirl has the best way of living because really she is just obliviously happy all the time. The life she lives is beautiful. I think that the reason the students of Mica High are so fascinated by her is because they don't often see people who rise above the herd and are so freely themselves. Stargirl is confident, and they are accepting of her because if this. They admire her.