Q3 Outside Reading Week 1 Post A

Vocab:
wampum(23)- cylindrical beads made from shells that were used by Native Americans as a medium for exchange, ornaments, and ceremonial purposes.
granulocytes(10)- Any of a group of white blood cells having granules in the cytoplasm

Figurative Language:
"Before I understood that the smile of a child is a tattoo: indelible art"(27). This is a metaphor that compares a child's smile to a tattoo or nonremovable piece of art. It's a metaphor because it is a comparison saying something "is" something else, not "like" something else.

"Trailing her spine, like a line of small blue jewels, are a string of bruises"(28). This quote is of a simile. It is comparing the bruises on Kate's back with small blue jewels. The quote states that they are "like" not that they actually "are" which makes this a simile and not a metaphor.

"My tongue is pinned by the weight of the question that, a moment later, Brian forces out of his own throat: 'Is she...is she going to die?'"(33). This is, in my opinion, imagery, for a lack of a better word. It deals with the feeling of the question. It is an extremely serious question that doesn't literally pin Sara's tongue because of its weight. Basically, this quote is just intensifying the fear and terror that Sara and Brian fear for their child's well-being. And because it deals with one of the 5 senses (touch/feeling), I'd say that it is imagery.

Quote:
"In my first memory, I am three years old and I am trying to kill my sister...In the end, though, I did not kill my sister. She did it all on her own. Or at least this is what I tell myself" (5). This quote is actually rather long. It is the prologue that begins the book. Already, the tone is set as melancholy. Initially, I didn't read this part because I had accidentally by-passed it when starting the book. I had already met Anna when I finally read it and I was already aware of her situation. But if I think about it, not knowing any of the characters, this quote instills a horrible feeling within me. After meeting Anna, I now know why she would say something like this. This quote begins a fight of moral values that leaves me completely torn between who to side with. Not only is it a mood setter, but it also sets up the entire story line. Just one page. Just three paragraphs. And everything is already blurry.

Theme: Everyone has rights to their own body and should have control of their own life.