Rollin' with Raneem

     One idea that’s been on my mind a lot is “cancel culture” and how it plays a big part of our generation. Cancel culture “refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive.” Every other day we’re hearing of another story/scandal that gets a celebrity or influencer cancelled. Sometimes, the reason for canceling the famous person is justified, while other times, I feel like society has become too sensitive and people are almost looking for reasons to cancel someone.      One factor that intensified and allows cancel culture to hold people accountable is the advancement of technology. Decades ago, public figures were still doing the same awful and disgusting things that they do to get cancelled today. It’s just nowadays there’s social media to spread the word and hold them accountable to their actions. At this point you’re probably ...

I know my class section of coming of age briefly mentioned Alison Bechdel moving away from home, but I feel like it’s a key element in her development, so I’m dedicating this blog post to elaborate on the value of leaving your hometown. The main character wouldn’t have been able to reflect and grow as much if she was still living with Bruce and her mother. Also, they lived in a community with their extended family, and that also makes it hard for someone to change and find their individuality.  In general, it can be extremely beneficial to leave your hometown because everyone there knows you. Most people you interact with might have known you ever since you were a child, so you unintentionally become reluctant to change because you become afraid of how those people could perceive your “new self”. You think about the version that people know you as, and try to mimic that so that you don’t let your community down for thinking that you changed “for the worse.” When you’re in a new env...

TW//Depression and Suicide Topic Is it just me or is it also really hard for other people to read The Bell Jar knowing that Esther Greenwood in real life (Sylvia Path) commits suicide? Our brains are psychologically wired to want a “happy ending” and although we don’t know yet how the book ends, we know the sad ending that the main character of the book has in real life. It really pains my heart reading about the specific encounters that Esther is describing and also thinking about the different experiences that traumatized her. I know it’s not a healthy thing to do, and I’m trying to stop, but while I’m reading, I can only think about if “blank” experience didn’t happen would she have ended her life. I’ve watched multiple TV shows and movies where there’s an addict that’s overcome their need for a drug, and down the line they become a support/sponsor for an addict who’s trying to get clean. The addicts would check-up with each other and talk with one another if they think they’re goin...

     Last week we talked about whether or not we could trust Holden Caulfield as an accurate narrator of the events happening. On one hand, Caulfield is very blunt with his thoughts about people he interacts with and tells us (the reader) what he really thinks of them. However, his actions to that person contrast what his true feelings are towards them. For example, we see this happening with his dorm neighbor, Robert Ackley. Caulfield raves on and on about how annoying and disgusting Ackley is. He dreads every time Ackley comes into his room because he just messes with his things and bothers him. At one point even wishes his roommate, Stradlater, was in the room because Ackley hates Stradlater and never enters the room if he’s in there. After Caulfield makes his dislike very clear towards Ackley, he still invites him to accompany him to the movies while he was bored on a Saturday evening. This gets the reader thinking, is Caulfield masking his true feelings from us like ...

     Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead follows Rosemarie Hathaway, a teenage guardian-in-training vampire who is learning to protect her best friend, Vasilisa Dragomir. Although the novel is through Rose’s perspective, Vasilisa is the main character throughout the storyline. Rose is “shadow-kissed” to Vasilia, meaning they’re subconsciously bonded and Rose can see in Vasilia’s mind. Since Vasilisa is the last surviving member of her royal family line, she’s very important in the vampire government and expected to be the future queen. Usually, they would pair the most experienced vampire guardians, called dhampirs (Rose is a dhampir), to protect Vasilisa, but Rose’s bond with Vasilisa gives her an almost guaranteed spot to be her guardian. However, this requires Rose to train more than the average high school student at the Vampire Academy.      At the beginning, every time Rose was sucked into Vasilisa’s mind, she would instantly try to block the connection...