Harry Potter-Setting

     Harry Potters Magical world is a vast and often dreamed about place that fills the hearts of many readers alike. A world that makes kids smile from cheek to cheek. A world that gives kids sanctuary from their problems. A world that makes people more than just muggles. It is often wondered about by readers since Rowling doesn't cover too much in detail of the magical world. Rowling likes to let people imagine a world of their own. In the movies they do a great job of imagining a world that everyone loves and can relate too. This must have been a monumental task. One line so far in my book; Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets, "It looked as it once been a large pigpen, but extra rooms had been added her and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it was held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on the top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, The Burrow. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron." This description is not portrayed in elevated diction but rather simple words like "red and pigpen". This is very simple but still allows the reader to picture "The Burrow" in their minds. Using simpler language will help the audience increase instead of making younger kids not able to read. I think this is funny because as I have said in earlier blog posts the diction used by Tolkien is very elevated and often I had to consult a dictionary to understand some of the things being said by Tolkien.

     Another line that Rowling uses to help the reader imagine themselves with Harry is, " Not daring to look at each other in the eyes, Harry and Ron followed Snape up the steps into a vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. This is another descriptive line that Rowling slips into the page. It is simple and concise that does not get into the way of the plot. This is great for readers and doesn't lengthen the book a ton and still gives great description. This is why I think Rowling is such a great author. She appeals to so many people with her writing that it is no wonder she has the largest grossing series.

                                                    

Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets

     Of all the Harry Potter movies I have enjoyed this one the most. So when I was starting to read this book I got very excited. So far this book has been an easy read and does not have as much elevated diction as The Lord of The Rings series. Harry Potters books seem to have an easy vernacular because they are meant for all ages and should be considered books that kids should grow up with. Since I wasn't exactly a prolific reader when I was younger I thought I could go back and revisit such a classic series. There isn't many things I can talk to you about because I already have seen the movie so I know most of the plot and I already told you about why I chose this book. In this blog I will talk to you about J.K. Rowling the genius behind the book series.

     Rowling's career wasn't a typical one. She didn't plan to be a huge author, she just wrote a book she liked. But before all of that she got a degree in French and Classics. Rowling then moved to Portugal and became a foreign language teacher. This is also where she got married and had a kid. Unfortunately the marriage did  not last long and she went back to the U.K. to finish her book. She had not done any other books before this one. In fact her career and money intake was practically nothing. Rowling had to make the manuscript on a typewriter.

     What else has Rowling done? To be honest she has only done a couple of books and those were under different pen names and were for adults. This list of books include; The Silkworm, The Cuckoo's Calling, and The Casual Vacancy. These books aren't bad sellers and won't probably reach the point of her Harry Potter series but they are still good books. Her author career is not like most, she didn't know she would have the most grossing book series of all times. Who knows maybe you too will have a rags to riches story yourself, and I will have to do a blog.

More Info on Rowling

What I Want To Read Next

     I have been reading The Lord of The Rings and I am on the second book so far. Many think that I will go on to read the last book in the series The Return of the King. However I have been reading the second book and I have lost interest in the series. I liked the first book but I have slowly disliked the writing style and description used in this series. Maybe one day when I have had my break I will come back to the series and read the last book but for now I have set my goals towards the Harry Potter series since I have never actually read the series. I have seen all the movies and read the first book but I want to continue this because it is a classic piece of literary genius. I have heard lots of great things about the Harry Potter series and did enjoy the first book. I have started a trend of going back and reading lots of the popular books. The harry Potter series should take me to the end of the Summer and after that who knows what I'll read. For now, I want to focus on Fantasy because I am going through a Fantasy phase.
 
     The Harry Potter series is also similar to The Lord of the Rings, not in writing style but in the structure of the characters, setting, and story. One thing that I mentioned in my last post was the fact of the death eaters whom play a similar role as the Nazgul in The Lord of the Rings. Another thing we notice is a male main character with a best friend who serves as comic relief and someone who cares about the main character a lot. My last point but definitely not the final thing in common is how the main character has parents that have died and has left them to the comfort of the Uncle's.

     I do regret however not reading the Potter series when I was younger so that way I could "grow up" with the series and perhaps it would be more special to me. Now though I will have a chance to read the books and hopefully be able to talk more in social groups.

A Letter to my Friend Tolkien

     Hello, I am Ian Markley and I am close to finishing your book, The Two Towers. The book has a plethora of elevated diction. With your elevated diction you create extravagant scenes full of detail and imagery. In Middle Earth you make every blade of grass feel important, every person, every tree. I can tell by the way you wrote this series that Middle Earth is more than just a setting for you, it is a sanctuary you can go to. A place were you feel home, somewhere you can't be disturbed and go into a world you created and wanted to share with many others who are just as enthralled with the story. I am surprised that you didn't run out of words in the dictionary to use as descriptive words. I also like how you make an inconceivable hobbit a hero who takes a bearing that many men do not have the will to do. It is definitely a book for people who are underdogs in some aspect of their life. I also like how in this series that this is really just about an orphan who is looking for adventure. People get engrossed in all of the action and description but miss the simplicity of the book and perhaps the real reason an author wrote the book. I hear that you went to South Africa and remember some vivid encounters including meeting a huge hairy spider. Was that your inspiration for including a huge spider in the 3rd book when Frodo fights a spider?

     I do in fact like your books and agree that these are classic pieces of literature. This book brought back Fantasy book and has inspired many of my generation to get into the Fantasy section and is part of why we see lots of that genre in our generation. Your book has also created a foundation for many books common to yours. For instance, most books today have a wise man, accompanied with an unlikely hero. I would also like to say that you influenced a book that has captured many great minds and inspired many more; Harry Potter. You have created the foundation for this series and Rowling definitely copied some of your aspects into her story because she saw the success from your books. For instance, the death eaters are the same as the Nazgul. I think that your books will influence many people and authors for the next 100 years and hope to see that your books continue to be read and enjoyed. Oh and here is a link to why people think your books are better than Harry Potter. Why LOTR is better than Harry Potter

                                                                                                           Until Next Time,
                                                                                                                    Ian Markley

Krista Ramsey- "Locking into the Magic of Legos"

     In this column Ramsey talks about the benefits of their kids playing with Legos, how it can improve spatial and 3 Dimensional relationships.

     Link To Lego Article
     The line that I found was the best and summarized the article the best was "Like sparklers and hugs, Legos are things a child can never have enough of." This line is near the beginning of the article and helps foreshadow the rest of the article. It also shows the tone of which Ramsey view Lego's. She thinks that Lego's are helpful and shows a positive tone. We know that Ramsey is using  a positive tone with this important line because of her diction and syntax. The diction in this line is more informal using no challenging words. This shows a more casual thought towards Lego's. The syntax is a long sentence and uses a comparison to show a point. The words "sparklers" and "hugs" help us identify it is a positive tone because all humans correlate a hug and sparkler as times of happiness.

    Ramsey's style of writing is long sentences that are informal and are about health and lifestyle. We know Ramsey talks about lifestyle because of her titles; "For better vision, kids need time outdoors", "Super Bowl QBs score points for great style", and "Locking into the Magic of Lego's." These all talk about the lifestyle or health of a human life. This is what Ramsey is comfortable with and therefore writes about it. We can tell Ramsey likes to write long sentences because of her syntax, "After watching New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick slouch off the field in his cutoff hoodie, it’s been heartening to see players like Wilson show up perfectly groomed for a post-game interview." This line is in the Super Bowl article and is a rather long sentence. This style is practiced throughout the piece and shows how Ramsey leans to long sentences. Whilst using long sentences, like most columnist Ramsey likes to use informal diction to portray an easy and reader friendly column. For instance in the Lego article, "Many have been waiting with their parents for as long as two hours." Or in the vision article, "Whatever the factors behind the finding – perhaps the benefits of sunlight versus indoor lighting, the influence of vitamin D, the visual benefit of viewing objects at a distance outdoors, a reduction in visual stress – it’s left Zadnik, associate dean of Ohio State University’s College of Optometry, believing “there’s something magical about the out-of-doors.”" These rather long sentences show without them that they use a simpler diction and word choice. This quote also shows the style that Ramsey likes to use, form opinion then state why she thinks that with a quote or fact. This is shown through some of her more opinionated pieces. 

Frodo: The Underdog

     Frodo is the underdog of The Lord of the Rings. He symbolizes an ant. This is a lame comparison for most people, but Frodo is ant. This ant is the persistent hard worker in the background. You never see the work of the ant and they usually are just annoying under appreciated animals. They have great strength for their size and work together. When you see an ant you don't think anything of it until they multiple and become a huge problem, their anthill; or in this case Frodo's ring. Sauron the evil Lord does not take Frodo as a threat because he is a small hobbit that Sauron could crush in seconds, however Frodo is his biggest problem. Frodo works under wraps, the unsung hero. Frodo is currently escaping Sauron's Army in the land of Gondor with Faramir and  his troops. Faramir a man who tries to keep Gondor free from the "Dark Lord" thinks that Frodo could do nothing and is working for Sauron when Frodo is the only one that can save him. Appearances can often be deceptive, when you see that first ant you think nothing of it but when you see all of the ants and there hole you panic. Usually the ant surprises you because you never cared enough or thought you had the time to see if the could be part of something big like an ant hole. This describes Frodo, he is on the good guys but he is not someone you would consider a threat. In this way you can think Frodo as that ant, the thing you don't think of until its too late.

Description of Frodo: Short (3.5 feet), Black Hair, blue eyes eyes, Caucasian, round, green clothes with a grey cape, no shoes, small petite fingers, and gentle face.

More Information of Frodo Baggins

The Two Towers-Setting

      The Two Towers is a great read for people looking for vintage and challenging diction. Most of the diction in the book is describing the setting. Like most Fantasies The Two Towers takes place in a medieval time. I know this because they use swords and live in a time with magic. For the place in which they are, it is a mystical land known as Middle Earth, it has different regions similar to Earth with common features like mountains and forests. "But out of the deep shadow of the dale rose a vast spire of smoke and vapor; as it mounted, it caught the rays of the sinking moon, and it spread in shimmering billows, black and silver over the starry night." (119) This is a great example of the imagery of how Tolkien likes to describe the scene around the characters, that is unfolding. Tolkien creates this world that you feel you could live in, its all most like I'm a ghost following the people around. Tolkien creates this world that not only the characters live in but us as readers do too. I feel as if so many people like Tolkiens book because the setting is so well described that people want to be in this world.