Octavian Nothing: Final Essay

Author's note: I am writing this essay to inform you on the similarities, and differences between two very interesting characters from two different books. Octavian, from Octavian Nothing, and Dervish from Demonata.

 I think that Octavian from my Historical Fiction book and Dervish from my thriller book have a lot in common. Some similarities are that they both go through big family problems, and they both are very curious of what is out in the world that they do not know about yet. Some differences are like Dervish has to fight off demons, and Octavian is a slave. Dervish and Octavian have many similar traits.

They both are dealing with major family problems throughout the story. Octavian was once a future prince with his mother at princess in their country. Then they were brought to Boston and sold to slave owners. Now his mother is deeply sick, and he has to try and save her. Dervish lost his nephew to a wizard in search of people to save the world with him, now Dervish is trying to fight of all of the demons trying to get to his nephew.

Also, they both are very curious of the world and what else is out there. Octavian is a slave; he has not seen much of the world or even his own town. He always asks his mother to tell him more about their country, she can’t tell him that much because she was pretty young at the time as well. He can’t ask the slave owner because the probability of actually telling him is very low. Dervish has been to many places, even in the demon world! Although, he hasn’t been everywhere and he knows that, and he studies the places he wants to go so maybe one day he can actually go there.

Octavian and Dervish are quite different, though. Dervish goes around fighting demons for a living. He’s been to many different dimensions in the demon world. Octavian is a slave that works and goes through tests every day. He usually just stays at the main house, and works with plants or takes tests for the scientists. Also, Dervish isn’t treated with much respect from anyone besides his family. He is seen as crazy around his community, people see him as someone you believes in demons and other mythical creatures and also says he has seen them and fought them before. Octavian gets treated with respect from mostly everyone, even his slave owner! His mother obviously treats him with the most respect out of everyone. Then the king comes and he doesn’t care for anyone very much so he starts treating Octavian like he really is a slave. 

So, Dervish and Octavian have much similarities, as well as differences. Dervish is a demon fighter. Octavian is a slave who was captured and brought to Boston to be sold. Dervish hasn't been many places in the real world, neither has Octavian because he can't. Also Dervish and Octavian both have family problems going on in there life.

Octavian Text Structure

Author’s note: The Author’s purpose is to inform you on the cause and effect of relationships in your novel, what caused the climax to occur, and the consequences of that event.

Octavian was once a prince on his country, then he was captured by slave owners and brought to Boston, he is now going through a series of tests and his results are being recorded by scientists. First, Octavian was a very powerful person along with his mother in their homeland. They were then captured by slave owners and sold in Boston to a scientist. By being sold Octavian was then tested on his ability to do things in a matter of time.

The climax of the story was at the party when the scientists told Octavian that they were working on something to save people, and then it went wrong making everybody sick, then a lot of them ended up dying. The scientists didn’t tell him what they were doing, he was walking around and he heard them talking about it. So he asked them what it was, and they told him nothing but not to tell anyone and to keep it to himself.

By Octavian not telling anyone nobody had a chance to save themselves so they ended up getting really, really sick and some even died in the process. Octavian’s mother was one of the sickest people of them all, but he took extra good care of her just in case.

Octavian vs. Slave owner

Author’s note: The author’s purpose is to inform you on Octavian’s life and what he goes through. Then put it into another person’s point of view and see what it would be like then.

How would you feel if you were a young boy/girl going through the tough times of slavery in early Boston? Well that’s what Octavian has to live through, but he also have to live through an amount of scientists experimenting on him. Octavian and his mother were very powerful people in their country, but when they came to America they were captured by slave owners. They put Octavian’s mother to work right away, but they wanted to learn more about him since he was still really young. The slave owners didn’t want the slaves to their real names, so they called each other by numbers like 03-01. Octavian’s owners were scientists and everyday they would put him through a series of tests. Sooner or later he finds out about why they are doing this and he gets pretty upset so he tries to break out of the horrible place.

I think that Octavian’s point of view affects the story in a way. He is a little boy from a free country, and now he is a slave for a scientist. Octavian looks at life as a pretty good place at first, then as time goes on he feels trapped and he sees what the scientists do to the other slaves. Then his point of view definitely changes when everyone is at the party and people start getting the pox, even his mother. Not knowing what to do, he tries helping everyone but he doesn’t know that there is no stopping it. While he is helping all of the people he also tries to visit his mother as much as possible. So, at the beginning of the story Octavian was a little boy at mind, but as the story went on he became a smart man at mind seeing what is happening around him and taking it on.

I feel that if you were to put the story into the slave owner’s point of view it would be a lot different. Octavian sees the tests that he goes through as something they do for fun at first; the scientists see it as helping the world with new inventions of materials. Yes, the scientist sees Octavian as a slave just like any other one. But he treats Octavian with respect at first because he is young and useful to his tests and work. When Octavian his mother and the owner meet the king and his people they treat Octavian as if he were just another slave, but they treat his mother with great respect since she was once a princess.

Overall, I think that the story might be somewhat different if you were to put the story in the slave owner’s point of view. Although, it might also be alike in a way. Octavian is a very nice person and changes his point of view towards everything as the story goes on. The scientist is kind only to Octavian and his mother and nobody else, but as the story goes on when the king comes he sees how badly he treats the slaves and starts to change in a way.

Johnny Cade

Author’s note: I am writing about a specific character in “The Outsiders”, and how he has developed throughout the story. His name is Johnny Cade.

Johnny Cade is one of the many Greasers. His family life isn’t that well, and as far as bad luck goes Johnny has definitely got it. Johnny is looked up to by many people as unlikely it may seem, people think of him as a brother to the whole gang. Some of the Greasers may not like some of the other Greasers, well Johnny likes them all. Johnny started off as a kid who couldn’t stand up for himself what so ever, although as the story went on he became more independent.

I think that Johnny is a dynamic character, because from the beginning of the story to the end of the story he changes his attitude, and confidence towards himself and the society. In the beginning of the story when he is walking around town with Ponyboy and Dally he goes more off of what people tell him or tell him to do. It seems as if Dally bosses him around telling him what to do a lot. Then when they were at the movie theater Johnny told Dally to back off of Cherry and Marcia, showing that he is already starting to develop.

Another part of the book where Johnny really starts to change his attitude is when he sees the church burning. He runs in to try and save the kids, doing so made him a hero but it also caused an accident to himself. When he was in the hospital he had realized that no matter what people say he is his own person and has to make the life changing decisions on his own, he can’t let people make them for him.

Overall I think that Johnny was a dynamic character, he starts off as a lost kid but as the story goes on he realizes that life is gold and you have to treat it like it is gold. He also becomes a wise young adult for redeeming his past image by saving these innocent children from the church.

Defying Stereotypes

           

           Author’s note: I am writing about one of the three themes from the book “The Outsiders”. I am giving examples and writing what I think of them towards the theme “Defying Stereotypes”.

            One of the biggest Stereotypes in “The Outsiders” towards a person is Dally. When he was only ten years old he was in a big gang held in New York, and went to jail very often. Now that he lives with new people in a new town, people think of him as the worst person in the world. If people were to get their tires slashed or a bunch of their stuff stolen they would blame most of it all on Dally, thinking he is the bad guy when really he probably didn’t do it.

I think that those people are really selfish, and inconsiderate. They don’t think about any other of the gang members going to the car and slashing the tires, they always think Dally does it. I feel bad for Dally sometimes, there is times where he gets blamed majorly for something he didn’t even do, although sometimes it might have been him.

The biggest society stereotype is against the Greasers. People look at them as dumb, poor, and dirty. In the book the socs make fun of them and beat them up, which is a lot worse than what the society does to them. If they were to be a Greaser they would understand that the Greasers have no jubilation. Once they saw the family life and how the Greasers live they wouldn’t think of them as bad as they do, they would feel sorry for them.

I feel bad for the Greasers and what they go through, but I feel like the people just don’t understand. Like when Randy was talking to Ponyboy, he started to feel sorry for Ponyboy especially because of what had happened to his family. If the socs were to live with the Greasers for awhile, I don’t really think all of them would get over the fact that they are Greasers, some of them would but not all of them.

Another big stereotype is towards Johnny. Johnny is a sixteen year old boy who has a bad family life and is at the wrong place at the wrong time a lot. Everyone see him as the one who ruined his family life with his parents. He’s best friends with one of the most hated Greasers in the society.

I think that there are a lot of stereotypes in the book “The Outsiders”. The main one in the whole book is the Greasers and the society. People think they are just overly disgusting. I do think that it is upsetting that they think that, but I also totally understand that they just don’t know what they go through.

Letter to Ponyboy

Author's note: I am writing a letter to Ponyboy on his life, his friends, what I think of them and him, and what I think will happen in the future.

Dear Ponyboy,

When you’re alone and not with your friends and gang you seem like a really nice person, but you are stuck in a sticky situation. You have what it takes to be a soc; you also have what it takes to stay with the greasers. Are you willing to forget the life you had and currently have with the greasers to be a rich and smart kid?

Your brother Darry was once a soc, then in a tragic accident your parents died leaving you and your brothers with nothing. So courageous enough, Darry quit school and started two jobs to keep you and Soda pop living. Doing so made all of you apart of the local gang the “Greasers”.  On the journey you met your best friend Johnny. He has similar problems with his family. He does live with them, although they do not appreciate him.

You have also met some other important people on the way, especially Dally. Although you might not feel it, you and Dally have a special relationship, you are both much alike. Dally loves Johnny as if they were brothers. Dally teaches you and Johnny the ways of his master skills with gangs. Through your life the things he teaches you definitely come in handy.

I think later on that Johnny will end up dying, because he tried to be a hero and I love that he did it. I feel that Dally will feel very insecure and get killed doing something stupid. As for you I think that you will end up a very scared person but you will eventually get over it. 

Sincerely,

Xavier Straub

Country

Author’s note: I am writing to inform you on my opinion on our country, and if I am proud or not.

No, because our debt is super high, selfish people and our environment is really bad and is getting worse. There is also some things that I am definitely proud of, like so many volunteers to risk their lives for other people, even garbage men help this country a lot more than some other people.

 First, our debt is over one trillion dollars and it’s still going up! We are spending money on things that we don’t really need. Do we really need five generations of ipods, or 10 different game boys? We need to think about what we are doing by spending all of this money.

Next, a lot of people in America are downright rude. There are so many simple nice things to do that nobody does anymore. Holding the door open for someone, helping them across the street.

Army men, firefighters, police men go out of their way to save people lives or their freedom. I’m not saying everyone has to go to Iraq and fight with them. All I’m saying is they need to take leadership and help some people out. Usually the firefighters are volunteers!

 Most importantly, our environment is just horrible. Not very many people help pick up trash, or even care about what they are doing to the world. I understand that people try to get other people to help them but obviously they aren’t trying hard enough.

Garbage men going around collecting peoples and just trash laying on the ground, sometimes it is because they have to, but a lot of times they do it because they care. You see people every day walk by garbage and they don’t even stop to think about it, they just keep walking.

Yes, I am proud of my country in many ways. But at the same time I’m very disappointed in some of the people living in this country. I don’t understand, if we want rights, we should have to fight for them, we shouldn’t make the military go out of their way to fight for us. I thank them for doing so, but still they shouldn’t have to.