Reflection 10

Villains are so interesting to us because they are bad. They make us fear that tipping point, because at some point or another Villain is good, something along the course of their life drastically changes them, and causes them to become evil. I believe that as a society we are attracted to their evil, because it keeps us on our toes, it cause us to ask ourselves, “ what’s my tipping point?” it makes us scared yet excited that any moment of any day a small event could cause us to become that evil person. Take my favorite villain Lord Voldemort he is so evil that he wants to wipe out an entire population just because their blood isn’t pure. Now yes that is evil and when reading the books I makes you against him, but before Voldemort was evil he was Tom Riddle an intelligent and very powerful wizard. At the end of the series there is a scene between Voldemort and Harry where Harry is accused of being just like voldemort, - in that instance as a reader you see the line to be there the line that keeps it distinct the thing that attracts us to villains because this moment you’re on the edge of the seat franticly wondering if harry is truly capable of being evil?- It’s not until Harry answers the question that you know he is good, that is the only difference is love Harry has and can love and voldemort has lost this power. That’s something that has happened to all villains they have lost the ability to love. That what makes them evil, and because for us as a society Love is so important the mere absence of it could cause us to become Evil.

Book 3 Project

Literary Hero
 

In Nicholas Sparks book Safe Haven, the protagonist of the story is not the Hero. This is because the story is about a girl in her late twenties who moves to the small town of Southport, North Carolinian in attempts to leave her past, behind her running away from an abusive husband, starting from scratch. Kate tries her best to keep to herself and cruse by unnoticed. She is the protagonist but because her main goal is to just go by unnoticed, not fight her previous life, but instead just escape it, she is not the hero of the story the hero needs to stand up for something. Because of this the hero in Safe Haven is actually a supporting character - Alex.

 To be more specific Alex is a modern-slightly-epic Hero.  Alex is a modern hero because he is fighting the mental battle, of his past. His wife died several years ago, he’s left to juggle raising kids, and owning a store at the same time. He goes through the struggle of keeping his kids happy and preoccupied always worrying about them. On top of all of this he worries about Katie. He notices that “ as she was debating what to buy . . . the fingers of her right hand twisting around her left ring finger, toying with a ring that wasn’t  there. The gesture triggered something both familiar and long forgotten.” (Sparks 48). This on moment shows his heroism, because besides all of his struggles and all of the people that come through the store, the one girl that wants to go unnoticed he notices her, he recognizes that she has had a troubling relationship in the past and amongst all of this he wants to care for her an notice her.  He is a modern hero because he selflessly cares for others, being there for them never letting his past or own problems get in the way.

Alex however is an Epic hero because he cares for Katie and his kids. He is unselfish and brave saving Katie from her past, allowing her- instead of running from it- to become aware and accepting of it. Becoming a comforter for her promising to always be there for her telling her “I’m not perfect either, so maybe it’s best if we take all of this one day at a time. And when you’re ready, if you’re ever ready, I’ll be waiting.” (130). This action may not be considered heroic when compared to actually hero’s like Odysseus.  But to Kate being there for her at all times, waiting for her even when she may never come is exactly, what Kate needs. This one gesture is saving Kate from her past allowing her truly start anew. Because of all of this Alex is a Hero.

Reflection 9

Edge of the seat moments from Safe Haven:

• When Alex and Katie first trust each other and become friends. In this secen Alexs son Josh falls into the creek behind Alex's story and is drownding.The suddeness of this sceen cause your heart to beat and for you to be as scared as Alex is. Making this scence a edge of a seat one.

"He flung open the back door, adrenaline surging through his system as he hurdded a row of bushes, taking a short cut to the dock. He hit the wooden planks at full speed. As he launched  him self at the dock, Alex could see Josh chocking in the water, his arms thrashing." (Sparks. 28)

• The next moment is when katie is describing "her friends"( really its Katies) past to Jo. This is the first time that Katie has opend up to anyone about her self, and because of the serousness of the past and this scene it makes you feel right on the edge of your seat wanting to comfert her.

" ' And she couldn't tell anyone anything,because her afamily was gone and she knew the police wouldn't do anything.If he so much as suspected anything, he would kill her.So she stole and saved and found coins in the sofa cushions and in the washing machine. She hid the money in a plastic bag that she put beneath a flowerpot, and every time he went outside she was sure he would find it. It took so long to get the money she needed because she had to have enough to get far away so that he'd never find her. So that she could start over again.'
 Katie wasn't aware of when it had happend, but she realized that Jo had taken her hand and she was no longer watching her self from across the room. She could tast the salt on her lips and imagined that her soul was leaking out. " (66)

• The next moment is When Alex and Katie have finally accepted one another Alex, told katie in the past scen that he knew of her abusive past, and that he only waited until she was ready to talk. This moment after Katie felt scared and he was there patiencently waiting for her. This scene puts me on the edge of the sceat, because its so perfect and still i feel that sparks is alowing me to peak into this small and perfect moment in their ever cachotic lives.

" WIth the last of the sunlight fading from the horizon, twilight descended,turning the flat,cloudless sky a pale violet. They stood at the railing and Alex watched as the southern breeze gently lifted wayward strands of her hair. Her skin took on a peachy glow; he saw the subtle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. " (124 )

Reflection 8

Reflection 8