In "The Complete Persepolis" the main character Marjane is going through many changes over the course time. The causes of these changes come from many different influences. Do you think these changes are for better or for worst? In "True Notebooks" are there any characters going through a similar transition?
Was there a time in your life where you saw a change in yourself? Was it positive or negative? Did you work to change it or were you content with the transformation?
All of the inmates in True Notebooks are going through an important transition. They are all waiting to see whether they are set free or if they'll have to be locked up for the rest of their lives. On a daily basis I think they are going through a transition for the better, but I think certain setbacks from day to day can hold them back. For example, Jimmy Wu was locked in the box because he was caught with drugs. Little things like that can make you transition into a place you don't want to be, instead of moving forward. As each inmate realizes their mistakes, they transition into a better person everyday. I think Mark's writing class has helped all of the boys transition more than they ever thought they would over the time he's been there. By writing, it takes them to a place where they can really think and understand how they're feeling and why they did what they did. When you write, you learn things about yourself that you might not have otherwise learned. I still think they have a while to go until they truly transition into the people that they really want to be and understand who they really want to be, but each day I think they are being changed more for the better than for the worse.
ReplyDeleteDuring high school, I definitely changed from freshman year to senior year. In a way it was a good thing and a bad thing. Freshman year I was still just a little kid; I had so much drama and so many friend problems. I was involved in all the gossip and all the issues and I was so immature and still really naive. My grades were actually decent then, but my social life was a mess. I would gossip behind my friends backs, get into drama over petty things, and wouldn't care about anybody elses feelings but my own. I was selfish and inconsiderate and people would tell me all the time but I never stopped once to even think about it or care. As I went through my junior and senior year, I changed completely as a person. I had matured over two years and I realized that the world does not revolve around me. I realized how dumb and immature I was being by talking about people who were supposed to be my friends and decided if I wanted to be a mature adult I needed to stop. But as my social life got better, my grades went down and I think that's where I changed for the worse. I was always hanging out with friends or at dance class five days a week so I never really bothered with homework. I told myself it would get done eventually and if it didn't it was no big deal. I stopped going to school to stay home all day and text and socialize with my friends who didn't live near me. I felt like school was a waste of time, but nothing mattered because my social life was perfect. Change is constant; but I also believe in the quote "the more things change, the more they stay the same." As soon as one problem leaves, another one enters. What you have to figure out is how to deal with those problems. I think I'm finally learning how to do that. I have finally transformed into the person I want to be and even just moving to Chicago and doing the bridge program was a huge transformation for me. Each night when I do my homework and actually put thought and time into it instead of just throwing something together like I used to, I feel like I'm transforming and now I feel like I can actually handle college, and not just handle it but take hold of it. I think what everyone has to see is that transformation happens over time, it's not something you'll notice right away. But if you want change all you have to do is keep stepping in the right direction and soon enough, it'll come your way.