Delirium by Lauren Oliver

About the Author:

Lauren Oliver, the author of Delirium, was born 1982 in New York, New York. She worked as an editorial assistant and then assistant editor at Razorbill, a division of Penguin Books; currently, co-owns the literary development company Paper Lantern Lit. Oliver had studied at the University of Chicago in 2004 and NYU’s MFA program in 2008. Oliver says that she started writing "as a way of extending her love of reading" and when she read a good book she would 
"write sequels for it". Later on, she began working on her own stories.

Key Characters:

• Lena Haloway: The first main character of the novel. Throughout her 17 years of her life, Lena has always thought of herself as a girl who isn't important to anyone and isn't very beautiful. When she is about to be eighteen and is ready for her procedure that cures the infection of 'love', she falls in love with a very handsome young man that changes her view on love and helps her believe in it once again.
• Alex Sheathes: The second main character of the novel. Alex is the one person to help Lena change her mind about her views of the infection of love. Along the way a very unfortunate event happens that breaks Lena's heart but boosts her spirit and faith.
• Hana: A major character of the novel. She is Lena's best friend and has always been there for her. She is supportive of everything, but is much more outgoing than Lena.
• Aunt Carol: Another major character of the novel. She is the one who raised Lena ever since her mother had 'passed away'. She has always restricted Lena from doing what she wants and has protected Lena from the infection by teaching her the ways of the non infected and speaking about the horrendous events that come as a consequence of falling in love . 

Key Quotes:

• Lena: "His hair golden brown, like leaves in autumn just as they're turning, and he has bright amber eyes. The moment I see him I know that he's one of the people responsible for this. I know that he must live in the Wilds; I know he's an Invalid. Fear clamps down on my stomach, and I open my mouth to shout something-I'm not sure what, exactly-but at precisely that second he gives a minute shake of his head, and suddenly i can't make a sound. Then he does the absolutely, positively unthinkable. He winks at me." (Oliver 38)
• This quote contributes to Lena's character because she is surprised that the Invalids even exsist. She believe's what people tell her because that's what she was taught to do and she never seems to question it. 

• "Mama, Mama, help me get home

I'm out in the woods, I am out on my own

I found me a werewolf, a nasty old mutt

It showed me its teeth and went straight for my gut

Mama, Mama, help me get home

I'm out in the woods, I am out on my own

I was stopped by a vampire, a rotting old wreck

It showed me it's teeth, and went straight for my neck

Mama, Mama, put me to be

 I won't make it home, I'm already half dead

I met an Invalid, and fell for his art

He showed me his smile, and went straight for my heart"

(Oliver 69)

• This quote is significant to Lena's character because for her to be thinking this means that she was wrong about the Invalids being what people said or thought they were. They were actually the opposite of what people had said/thought about them. 
• Alex: ""Are you sure that being like everybody else will make you happy?" (Oliver 231)
• This quote contributes to theme because he is trying to get Lena to see that she doesn't need to be like everyone else to be happy. He wants her to see that falling in love is okay.
• Lena: "I've been alone with him countless time, but this feels different. Here there are no eyes waiting to catch us, no voices waiting to shout at us, no hands ready to tear us apart-just miles and miles of space. It's exciting and terrifying at the same. Anything could happen here, and the velvety darkness around us, the soft flutters of the trees, the pitter- patter of the unseen animals, come beating into my chest, making me feel as though I'm dissolving and expanding into the night. When he pulls away it takes me a few seconds to catch my breath." (Oliver 291)
• This quote contributes to the setting because when she finally gets to experience the thrill of being free in the Wilds, she doesn't seem to want to leave it. It also contributes to her character because it shows that she likes the feeling of being in love without hiding it.
• Lena: "I love you. Remember. They cannot take it." (Oliver 441)
• This quote contributes to Lena's character because she finally sees why her mom had fallen in love. She likes the feeling of being in love and now understands that it doesn't kill you.

Theme:

The theme of this novel is being similar to others will not always bring you happiness, being your own independent person will bring you joy in your life. The characters that mostly represent this theme would be Lena, Alex, and Hana. Lena learns how to be herself rather than follow everyone else because of the fear about dying the way her mother did. Alex is an Invalid and already knew how to be himself by disobeying the government in which he supposedly lived in. Hana is very unique in a way that she is similar to other people, but at the same time she is different because she likes to bend the law once in a while. 

Works Cited:

Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 16 May 2013.

"The Free Automatic Bibliography and Citation Generator." EasyBib. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2013.

"About Lauren Oliver." About Lauren Oliver. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2013.

Book Review #4: The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Author Background:
Alice Malsenior Walker was born February 9, 1944 in Eatonton, Georgia. She was a Civil Rights activist, Women's Rights activist an an author. Walker studied at Spelman College and Sarah Lawrence College. She is best known for the authoring of her famous novel, The Color Purple, that was published in 1982. Her compelling work won her the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983. Just three years later, The Color Purple, was made into a movie.

Relevant historical background:
This novel took place during the early 1900's, when the industrial revolution was first in full swing. Mass production had made the prices of goods at their all time low. The Jim Crow laws had kept everything segregated and people were not equal. During the 1800's, when The Color Purple was published, the economy was at double-digit inflation. This was the "spending age" where the phrase oftentimes used was "shop til you drop". 



Key Characters:
Celie: The main character of the novel. She was abused by most people around her throughout her childhood and her current life with her husband. She soon finds the power to stand up to her bullies through her role model.
Shug Avery: Celie's role model. At first, Shug seems like a bad person but when she finally gets a look at what this poor woman (Celie) has gone through in being Albert's (Mr. ______ ) wife, she seems to get closer to Celie as they progress in their lives. She becomes a good friend and mother-like figure to Celie.
Mr. _____ (AKA: Albert): He is the drive of Celie's anger. The anger Celie has toward him drives her into being an independent and strong woman. He soon goes through a change himself which makes him realize how miserably he had treated Celie through their marriage and he tries to correct his wrongs. 

Key Quotes:

•  "Harpo say, I love you, Squeak. He kneel down and try to put his arms round her waist. She stand up. My name Mary Agnes, she say." (Walker 97)- This quote contributes to the thematic development of the story. It shows Mary Agnes standing up for herself and gives am example of what the women are all like in this story by standing up for herself. 
• "Us sleep like sisters, me and Shug." (Walker 146) - This quote contributes to the plot of the story. ot shows the growing friendship between Shug and Celie and the development of their new relationship as lovers. 
• "Well, us talk and talk about God, but I’m still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?) Not the little wildflowers. Nothing." (Walker 197) - This quote contributes to Celie's character. She is finally understanding what Shug has been telling her about God. She sees that she has worshiped something that hasn't even done one favor for her.
• "Shug act more manly than most men . . . he say. You know Shug will fight, he say. Just like Sofia. She bound to live her life and be herself no matter what.
      Mr. ______ think all this is stuff men do. But Harpo not like this, I tell him. You not like this. What Shug got is womanly it seem like to me. Specially since she and Sofia the ones got it." (Walker ) - This quote contributes to the thematic development in the story in which both these feminine characters are strong and won't let themselves get their life controlled by someone who they see as an equal.
• "I'm pore, I'm black, I may be ugly and can't cook, a voice say to everything listening. But I"m here." (Walker 207) - this quote contributes to Celie's character and thematic development in the story. She seems to finally find some courage in taking a stand against Mr. _____ and she also realizes that she is worth something in the world just by being their alive. 

Theme:

The theme would be a woman is equal to a man and could become just as independent and strong as a man, too. The characters who most represent this idea would be Shug and Sophia. They both stood up to their husbands in some way that the husband was made to listen. They didn't let their lives get controlled by any other person but themselves. Even the other women in the story like Mary Agnes shows some kind of way that she stood up to a man. Celie in the end makes a huge comeback in being independent against Mr._____ and stron as a woman when she finally realizes that she is worth something just by living in the world. 

AP Open Ended Question:

2008 College Board authorized practice test: In many works of literature, a main character has a mentor or mentor-like acquaintance whose influence dramatically changes how the character views not only himself or herself, but the world as well. Choose a novel or play in which a mentor exhibits such a strong influence, either beneficial or harmful, on one of the main characters. Then, in a well-organized essay, discuss the nature of the mentor's influence and its significance to the work as a whole.
Response: In the novel, The Color Purple, Shug acts as a mentor for Celie. Celie has always been the type of person to just do as they're told, but Shug shows Celie how to be independent. She shows her the meaning of being happy. She helps her express her feelings of anger to Mr.______ by standing up for herself. Shug is more than a mentor though, she is like the mom Celie needs, a lover, and a friend.

Works Cited:
"Alice Walker." 2013. The Biography Channel website. 28 Mar. 2013

"American Cultural History." American Cultural History. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

Whitley, Peggy. "1980-1989." American Cultural History. Lone Star College-Kingwood
    Library, 1999. Web. 28 Mar. 2011. 

"Open-ended Questions for AP Literature." Open-ended Questions for AP Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.

Book Review #3: Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy by Tammara Webber is a romantic novel about a college girl named Jacqueline who learns that following her high school boyfriend to college instead of a music conservatory was not such a good idea. When her boyfriend breaks up with her two months into sophomore year, she breaks down and ends up risking her good GPA to skip a class that her and her boyfriend took together. She returns to the class and the teacher assigns her to a tutor that will help her catch up in class. What she doesn't know is that the tutor is the same person who saved her from being raped at a party. The tutor and Jacqueline fall in love and are almost separated throughout their relationship.
The significance of the opening scene is to introduce how Lucas and Jacqueline met. The opening scene implies that Lucas will protect her no matter what happens to himself.
The significance of the closing scene is to show how the relationship between Lucas and Jacqueline has grown. The closing scene implies how they have an undeniable love for each other.
Significant characters:

• Jacqueline: a college girl who followed her boyfriend Kennedy to college and is a music major
• Lucas: the tutor that Jacqueline is assigned to and the guy who saved her from rape twice
• Erin: Jacqueline's best friend who takes Jacqueline almost everywhere with her
• Buck: a friend of both Jacqueline and Erin who had tried to rape Jacqueline.
• Kennedy: Jacqueline's boyfriend who soon breaks up with her to be with other girls

Some important quotes:

• Erin: ""Jacqueline, babe, I know this is hard. But you can't let Kennedy win! You can't let him make you a hermit,or keep you scared of falling for someone new. God, I love this part of it - the hunt for a new guy, everything unknown, untried - the mass of hot prospects in front of you, waiting to be discovered."" (Webber 45) -- means that Jacqueline shouldn't let the past get the better of her. Erin is telling Jacqueline that she can always find someone else in her life.
• Erin: ""Jacqueline, how can you...of course I believe you! What kind of question is that?" She glared at me, insulted. "And by the way, why the hell didn't you tell me this before now? Because you didn't think I'd believe you?" Her lip quivered, transforming her expression from offended to injured."" (Webber 110) -- Erin is insulted that her best friend didn't trust her because she expected her friend to trust her.
• Lucas: ""He took you for granted, even when you stood next to him, holding his hand. Like you were an accessory." He frowned, and I remembered feeling exactly like that with Kennedy."" (Webber 221) -- Lucas is saying that he was and that Kennedy took Jacqueline's love for granted. He implies that he isn't the same as Kennedy is to her.
• Lucas: "He shook his head. "I'd fixed the house's AC the night before. Maintenance doesn't do emergency stuff on evenings or weekends, but I'm contract labor, so I agreed to do it. When i wouldn't take a tip, a couple of the guys invited me to the party. I only said yes because I was hoping you might be there. It had been two weeks, and this campus is so huge I was starting to think I'd never run into you." He chuckled softly and i rubbed a hand at the back of my neck. "Wow, that sounds like a total stalker." (Webber 222) -- Lucas means that he wanted a chance to prove himself to Jacqueline so he would do anything for that chance.
• Jacqeuline: "My tears spilled over onto the pillow between us. "Lucas, think about Harrison. See yourself for the boy you were, and quit blaming him for not stopping something a grown man might have been unable to stop. What have you told me, over and over? It wasn't your fault. You need to talk to someone, and figure out how to forgive yourself for responsibility your mother never would have wanted you to accept. Will you try? Please?"" (Webber 305) -- Jacqueline basically means that he should stop blaming himself for his mother's death because the mother would have never blamed him because he tried, but just didn't succeed at it. he should just forgive himself and move on with his life and let himself be at peace with no guilt in his mind.

The theme of the play would be:

• Love isn't always where you think it is.
• Sometimes the person you trusted isn't always able to be trusted.