Similar and Different

Author’s Note: This is a written piece about how the Fighting Ground and real life are similar and different.

The real life and this book are going to be hard to find similar and different things. One reason because the main character in the story may or may not be real in real life. The battles are probably real the whole story may not be true but it is entertainment. The revolutionary war had the first battle in real life too. The gun is the same. So the question is what is the same and difference between the story and the revolutionary war.

To begin with, in this story they talk about how the guns are taller than Jonathan and he is a normal thirteen year old boy. In real life the guns were about five and half feet tall. So they talked in the story how it took Jonathan so long to reload. He had to go onto his tippy toes just to get the gun powder into the barrel. It goes to show even in real life in that time period you had to be at least six foot tall.

In Addition, the first battle in the story was an actual battle in real life. What happened to Jonathan may not have happened. What happened to Jonathan, well to star of he was forced to be in the front line because he was so short. There was a Frenchman standing next to him who was shot in the mouth and landed on top of Jonathan. Jonathan could get the Frenchman off of him and then he was captured by the British troops.

On the other hand, there were some different stuff like in the beginning I don’t think that the Germans that the British hired to fight with them. They didn’t capture anyone; they killed anyone they saw besides their own people. So it’s kind of odd that they sat that the Germans capture Jonathan when that was not there way of battle. Another reason real life and the fighting ground are different is that the rebels would never believe that a thirteen year old boy could be eight-teen. I bet he doesn’t even look like he is eight-teen. Any normal thirteen year old doesn’t look like an eight-teen year old.

Finally, in this story and real life have a lot in common and a lot of difference one big was that Jonathan may not be a real character. There is so little on this one battle that I couldn’t find much information. The guns description was the same in real life the first battle was a real battle. The different stuff like how they would never believe that a thirteen year boy looks like a eight-teen year old and the German soldiers that the British used to fight with them didn’t capture anyone in real life.

The Nest of the Enemy

Author’s Note: this is a cause and effect piece that shows the cause of the main character going to war and the effect in that.

Scared, cold, hurt, worried Jonathan can feel all of this in the climax but first to get there he has to cause this somehow. In this story Jonathan, the main character, wants to fight the British. Even though he farther thinks otherwise like any 13 year old he does listen very well. When the rebels come they find him and he tells him that he is 18 because you have to be at least 18 to be in revolution. Joining the rebels has put Jonathan into a really bad spot in his life.

They set off for Pennington, which is a far walk for a young boy that is carrying a rifle that is taller than him and is 10 pounds lighter than him. He also has the uniform which is fit for a 6 foot man when it’s like 5 foot tall. Their first stop on the way to Pennington is Rocktown. They have all their men stopping by the well in the middle of the town and there is a woman drawing water from it. All the men stop and look at her for a while and then the woman finally stops and gave a bucket of water for them to pass it around and Jonathan isn’t man enough to speak up and say he wants some. Then they come to their first battle in Pennington.

            When they got there Jonathan had it bad because of his shortness he had to be in front of everyone. Has the British came closer Jonathan’s heart was racing more and more. When the firing shots start Jonathan is to scared to do anything then the Frenchman sitting next him get shot right in the mouth. The Frenchman lands on top of Jonathan and the Frenchman is still alive. Jonathan can’t get up because of all the equipment the Frenchman has. So the battle is over for him. When the battle finally is over because the rebels retreat and Jonathan is still on the ground. The British soldiers come and take Jonathan hostage.

            In the nest of the enemy lies Jonathan now probably scared or just thinking of ways to get out. Maybe he is thinking about what they are going to do to him. In his position he now probably wishes he never lied about his age just to fight this battle.

A Different View of Things

Author's Note: this is a point of view piece of another soldier that is a rebel aong with the group that Jonathan is in.
 
This book is written in the point of view of main character. In The Fighting Ground there is a young 13 year old boy named Jonathan that dreams of being in a patriot and fighting the British. He also never listen to his father because he always dreams of being a part of the rebels or commonly known as the patriots. But he is only 13 and you have to be at least 18 or older to be able to enroll in the army. He is very scared on in the inside as you read on you can feel the words and put yourself into his position and just picture what he is going through. Of course is furious at this because he would do anything to be a part of the rebel and the war. The thing he doesn’t understand that he is getting himself into a lot of dangerous events that he really doesn’t want to be a part of.

                One way that Jonathan point of view influences the reader's interpretation is how this perspective describes when they are marching for days and days just to get to Pennington. It shows how Jonathan is tired because he has to carry a rife that is the taller than him and weights a ton for him because he is not a grown man to carry it all. There first stop is in Rocktown, in this scene he talks about how they get to the town well and they see a woman drawing water from the well and after awhile the woman finally fills a bucket up and passes it around to the men. Since Jonathan was so young and small he never got enough courage to ask one of the men for a sip of the water. He describes very well in words say how scared he was to ever ask the simple question if he could have some water. Then finally when they get to their first battle you could just put yourself into Jonathan’s position again and just think about how you would feel being a 13 year old in the revolutionary war. The coronal takes Jonathan and says short one in the front. Now this just gets your heart racing. He is put next to one of the Frenchman that is brand new to America. There were shots flying everywhere, and then bam a bullet goes right into the mouth of the Frenchman. He falls right onto Jonathan the thing is, his heart is still beating. Yes the Frenchman was not yet died from the bullet. And Jonathan couldn’t push him off.

                I think that in the battle scene that the author could not have had the Frenchman shot in the mouth instead have him be shot in the arm or something because that just makes it gross and not that realistic with the bullet in the mouth. I think that if this book was written in the point of view of the coronal if he saw that bullet hit the Frenchman he would care much about him or Jonathan. I don’t think even Jonathan would even existed because they never get to know each other that close they don’t even know each other’s names. It probable was more like he saw his men falling with every shot taken so he called the retreat so that not everyone would die in front of him.

                The importance of a reader to see things in different point of views is to help understand a story more and really put you into a book and enjoy them more. I think that books can be more and I guarantee that anybody that loves book are those people that out them self into the position of the main character.

It's Just Not Right

Author’s Note: If haven’t heard the term don’t judge a book by its cover, then this piece of writing will help you understand it a little more.

Stereotypes can make a lot of people mad. Most of the time they hurt people because they don’t know how or what a person really would do. Say there was a house burning down with children inside. What would you do?  Would you just sit and watch or would you be the hero and save them? If you think about it, it would be a hard choice to make. How would you feel if you didn’t go into the burning building, or did go indie to save them? To understand more how the Greasers felt back in the day because everyone judged them by their covers. The Outsiders shows plenty of the themes of stereotypes.

First off the Greasers have always had the problem of being misjudged by society. The Greasers just looked like criminals. When Dally came into the gang he didn’t just bring another member for the gang. He also brought his criminal record. He was one of the bad Greasers. When he was younger he ran into some trouble with the cops.  There is Dally the bad Greasers then there is Ponyboy and Johnny the more nice Greasers and so since Ponyboy and Johnny where younger than Dally everyone thought that they would follow him and do what he does and look up to him. But of course they didn’t.

The way people misjudged them was by saying they don’t belong in our group and/or here because of how they looked. That’s really how the Greasers had it because they had long greasy hair, leather jackets, and didn’t go to school. So everyone thought they were criminals and they were always misjudged. When Ponyboy and Johnny saved the kids from the burning building they changed the way Greasers were looked at a little but not a lot. Would you be able to do that if you were a Soc I bet not because the Socs were snotty nose rich kids that people thought were perfect little angles. But when Randy told Ponyboy that he would let the kid’s just burn to death that dropped a huge bomb on the people reading and the people watching the movie.

The most recent and most common is the judging things before getting to know them or it. The Greasers to me is that they got screwed because they were born into the poor side and had no choice of their lives. The way they live is different then what people think a Greaser really should be. There are of course some Greasers that go to what society thinks they should be. Such as Dally is one of those bad Greasers. There a only a few Greasers that are basically good. First there is Johnny and Ponyboy, even Ponyboy’s brother Darry is good because he actually could have been a Soc. Sodapop is one of the more good Greaser basically the entire Curtis family could have been a Soc but then their parents die and their entire lives turn around and they go to the bad side of town.

The group that is most definitely misjudged is the Socs. People think of them as being perfect angles and never breaking the law or doing anything bad or even bad thoughts. We misjudge everything just about every day when you are trying to pick out a book you look at the cover and say this book looks terrible without reading the back and so you midjudge books. If you were one of the Greasers how you handle the burning fire with children inside? How would you handle the way society would treat you? It’s just not right to judge a book by its cover. That’s how the theme of stereotypes has to do with the Outsiders.

Family is the Most Imprtant Thing

Author’s note: This is a point of view of what happen to Ponyboy’s family in the car crash and he feels about it.

Family is the most important thing because when there is no else to talk to there is family there and they. Without them you have nobody to really love you and make you laugh you always need someone to love you and make you laugh. The outsiders have to deal with no family at except for the people in the gang and or their own brothers but there are on parents in the picture because most of them die. Ponyboy had one of the worst things that could ever happen to him and his two brothers.

Dark, Scared, cold, the worst that could ever happen I didn’t know what to do I wanted to stay tough in front everyone but I just couldn’t I burst into tears. Family as I know is the most fragile thing and one of those things you need to hold onto to tight or you might lose them. I Ponyboy thought my world would come to an end sitting there in my room getting the news. It’s true they were dead my parent I was so sad. When Darry finds out I don’t know what he is going to do the first I thought was blame it on me. But the one thing he did I didn’t think he would was he dropped out of school to help support me and Sodapop.

A year gone by without them my life with Darry as grown weak he is always mean to me I don’t know why. Me Sodapop are still close me Darry used to be tight too but after the accident he thinks he is dad now but he’s not doing the best job. I miss my parents so much I loved them I always wondered what would happen to me if they died then before my eyes bam they were gone like that. They were the best parents a kid could ask for. I lived playing catch with my dad in the back yard now be barley have a yard to run in. As well as helping my mom all the time with the laundry.

Thanks to the greasers I would not be alive really they were the wall I could lean on. They are the best thing that has happen to me since my parents died. Especially Johnny he has been the best friend I never had he really helps ease the pain. Now you know about Ponyboy’s family. So no matter what you do family is the most important thing. To tell you the truth Ponyboy got screwed because he had both his parents die at the same time. Now you understand how and why family is the most important thing. Ponyboy had one of the worst things that could ever happen to him and his two brothers.

A Troubled Letter

 Author's Note: this is a letter a friend sent to his friend asking what side of the groups he should be on the Greasers or the Socs.

Dear Jim,


I am enjoying the first week in the new town I wish I didn’t move or you moved with me. We had some of the best times ever. The school isn’t just the place where there are groups of people fighting it’s through out the town. There are two groups called the greasers and the socs. I am the new kid in town you know me being 17 years old i have to chose basically or one of them will kill me I don't know what side to chose I need you help. I will tell you a little bit about each side.

    
First there is the greasers that are the bad boys of the town and are really cool I think. They have slick hair and leather jackets and have greasy hair. All of the greasers are misjudged because they have one or two people that are in the group that do bad stuff first there is Dallas but everyone calls him Dally. He is from a gang in New York and went to juvy when he was 14 years old. but everyone else is cool like Ponyboy and Johnny are really cool.

    
Then there is the Socs, they are the snoty rich kids that get everything and are clean dress nice and are basically the complete opposite as the greasers. There are the one person that sticks out of the socs and that is Cherry. She is dating Bob but thinks Ponyboy is dreamy. She is not afraid to talk to anyone and she doesn’t really think anyone should get hurt. She doesn’t want anyone to get hurt especially Ponyboy.

    
These two groups have always been fighting and off when they don’t fight most of them have to deal with family business and other stuff that may not have to do with their opposite group. I believe in the end that something terrible will happen to both sides like someone will die on both sides or if not that something great like they forgive each other and they all become friends because. One last prediction would be that Ponyboy and Cherry start dating and so they greasers and socs try to become friends because of it.

    
So I would really like your help on what group I should go to because I am kind of between them both. You know me best so that’s why I am asking you I trust your judgement.



Your Friend,




James

The US of A

Are you proud of your country? Do you think your country has done you well? The United States of America sure has, they have done some of the greatest things in the world, like having one of the best armed forces in the world. The USA is the best because we are also a free country. I love the US of A for all its reason.

First off we are a free country we get to believe whatever we like whatever religion you want. In some countries you can’t believe in anything else its very ferly. We also have the freedom of speech we can go anywhere in the USA and speak about what we believe. You can also travel freely because we are one united place.

Another good reason why I am proud is because we are a democracy where the government listens to the people. Some countries that still have a King and Queen like when England used to be a monarchy.

Also some good reasons are we won World War 1 and 2. Our armed forces is one of the best in the world they dedicate there lives to the force. There are the police, the swat, army, navy, air force, and the special ops teams. The police dedicate their lives every day and leaving there families hoping to they can come back to them. The swat are basically police but they do the harder missions like if there is a airport getting taken over that’s what they do they go there instead of the police. The army, navy, and air force are the same basically except Army are ground troops, navy is water troops, and air force are the air troops like pilots. The special ops teams go and do the really hard missions and nobody knows who they are not even their families they go out change their name and be someone else completely. So they really need to be dedicated to their job or that can’t be on the spec ops.

Those are some of the reasons why I am proud of my country and if you have anything you would like to say that isn’t good about the United States you can’t say them to me because I will not listen to you. We also have people come over from different areas just live here because we are free. There is no place better than the US of A.