Dreams should be obtainable, depending on the situation. If someone has a dream of owning a business, that would be in reach, but if someone has a dream of becoming a very famous person, its less likely to happen. If someone has a dream of being really famous, it might not be a dream, but more of a fantasy. Dreams should be within reach, but if its out of reach its a fantasy.

The way Candy cares for his dog is like the way George cares for Lennie. Candy is always around his dog and what bothers others about his dog doesn’t bother him, same way with George and Lennie. George protects Lennie like a brother, but Candy protects his dog like a son. Candy is so used to having his dog around that he can’t leave him, just like how George is so used to having Lennie around.

Pages 15-24

I think that Daisy will find out about Toms affaire and I think something is going to happen to Gatsby. I think that Daisy is going find out about the side piece because it will happen eventually and it would add to the plot if the book. I think that something is going to happen to Gatsby because in the last couple of sentences I read, Gatsby was reaching out to the water for a green light, and i feel like that symbolizes something that is going to happen later in the book to Gatsby. I like how the book is pretty straight forward, but makes you think about what is happening at the same time. I don’t like Toms character, he is having an affaire with some girl and Daisy doesn’t know about it, but she will hopefully find out about it soon.

One way The Great Gatsby is connected to Of Mice and Men is that they are both based around the early 1900’s. These books are also connected by the idea of the American Dream. In Of Mice and Men, George and Lennie talk about how they want to get a house, some land, and some animals. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby had to work his way up from nothing to get his mansion, in three years time.

Belonging means that someone feels like they are in the right place, like they fit in with everything around them. When someone feels like they don’t belong they are uncomfortable with the circumstances of where they are or the people they are with. When a person belongs, they have people they can go to, they can do what they want without being judged, and they feel like they fit in. It is important that everyone finds where they belong, whether it be a certain place or group of people, because they don’t have to worry about having to fit in somewhere else when they fit in right where they are.

I am reading The Great Gatsby, it is pretty boring so far, but I’m not very far in yet. I just found out that Tom, Daisy’s husband, has some side piece in New York that Daisy doesn’t know about. I never really liked Toms character from the start of the book because he seems entitled and seeing that he comes from a wealthy family, he probably is. Now that I know about his affair, I practically hate him. I like Daisy, she seems really nice, and she doesn’t deserve how Tom is treating her. I don’t know very much about Gatsby, besides that he is rich and that he lives in a mansion that neighbors with Nick, the narrator. Nick is Daisy’s second cousin. There is a lady named Miss Baker, but I’m not too sure who she is yet.

My least favorite character is definitely Tom because why would he treat Daisy like this? Having a side piece in New York that somehow Miss Baker knows about, and now Nick knows about. That’s just cruel! Its like he thinks he is entitled just because he came from wealth and went to Yale. Miss Baker told Nick this information so calmly, like its an ok thing that everyone does. The things wealthy white men can get away with in the 1920’s is insane. And Tom and Daisy have a child together, which makes it even worse.

I don’t really have a favorite character yet because I don’t really know any of them. The only person I know well enough to judge so far is Tom, but he is definitely my least favorite. the charector i feel bad for the most is Daisy, because her husband is having an affair with some random girl in New York and Miss Baker told Nick about it casually, like its something that is just normal and okay to do. I don’t think Daisy deserves that, so she is the one I feel bad for the most.

“Being rich is more important that having close friends” Rating-0

I rated this statement a 0 because if you had to chose between being rich and having close friends, you should chose close friends. Being rich would be nice, but having close friends that will be there for you whenever you need them is more important. Also, if you are rich with no close friends, people will start using you for your money, but if your money goes away then so do they.

“A true friend will always tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it” Rating-10

I rated this statement a 10 because if a friend tells you the truth, even when its harsh, they want the best for you and they care. If a friend lies, they aren’t a true friend, even if they think its for your own good. If its the truth, you need to hear it, because sometimes the truth hurts, and if someone is trying to protect you from the truth, that will come out eventually, they aren’t a true friend.

Link to Zits TIQAs

Similarities

Self Identity/ Emotions

Aggressive behavior in adolescent: The importance of biopsychosocial predictors among secondary school students

“overt and covert aggression, which are the most common types of aggression that have been examined among children and adolescents.”

This is similar to Zits because he has a lot of aggression. Zits aggression is mainly physical, like shooting up the bank, but it is also verbal and emotional/mental.

Behaviors

“Understanding the Links Between Adolescent Trauma and Substance Abuse“

“one in four children and adolescents in the United States experiences at least one
potentially traumatic event before the age of 16, and more than 13% of 17-year-olds—one
in eight—have experienced posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at some point in their
lives.”

This quote is similar to Zits because he is the one in four. Zits has experienced more then one traumatic events and he isn’t 16 yet. His mother died, his father abandoned him, he has been in 20 different foster homes, and he shot up a bank.

Family/ Relationships

Navigating Foster Care During the Teen Years

“Many teens in foster care have faced neglect, abuse, or the loss of their biological families. These experiences can manifest in behaviors or emotional responses tied to their trauma.”

This is similar to Zits because the reason he is in the foster system is because his mother died. With the trauma of his mother dying, he faces a lot of emotional and behavioral

Differences

Self Identity/ Emotions

Identity Crisis in Teens: The Role of Identity in Teens’ Mental Health”

“An identity crisis doesn’t always appear as dramatic rebellion or visible distress. More often, it hides in plain sight. It may be seen in subtle shifts in personality, behavior, or emotional regulation.”

This quote is different from Zits because he isn’t very subtle about his identity. Zits used “dramatic rebellion” when he shot up the bank and he didnt try to hide his emotions. Zits as a person has stayed the same in behavior and personality.

Behaviors

Impact of Child Abuse and Neglect

“When children have the awareness and skills to manage the negative emotions such as anger and aggression, they can choose an appropriate course of actions, thereby avoiding inappropriate and destructive behavior.”

This is different from Zits because he doesn’t try to manage his negative emotions, he instead uses them to cause trouble. He wasn’t trying to stop his anger when he shot up the bank. Zits was putting the blame for his emotions that lead to his impulsive behavior on the world around him.

Family/ Relationships

72 Foster Care Statistics for 2025

“Additionally, the average number of placements for a child in care is two.”

This is different from Zits because he has been in 20 foster homes while the average is 2. The amount of homes Zits has been in is 10 times the average, which makes him way above average.

How far is too far when it comes to technology? Why?

I think it is too far with technology when people are depending on it on a regular basis. I think this is too far because people should be more reliant on themselves rather then technology. If people are depending on technology, they might lose the skill that technology now does.

What are some benefits to technology?

Some benefits to technology are that it makes life easier, from heating and cooling food, cleaning clothes, and keeping people entertained for long periods of time. Technology also makes it easier to communicate with people, texting or calling.

The only book I have been exposed to that has been challenged in the past if Harry Potter. I think the main reason why books get challenged are because of certain language or because they go against some religious beliefs, like witch craft or dark magic.

Flight

Some of the ways Flight could be controversial is because of the language and actions that Zits says/ does. Issues in Flight that teens have today are depression and some drinking/ substance abuse. Some aspects of Zits life that have made him a controversial is when he shot up the bank or when he transforms into a new person or the language that he uses. Not all of the things that makes Zits a controversial person is controversial to others.

Looking back on history and realizing what happened leads to regret.

Evidence 9: “I feel sick in my stomach. I feel sick in my soul. I remember in another life I killed people like this” (Alexie 72).

Evidence 10: “I’m ashamed of myself. Who was I?” (Alexie 81)

Evidence 11: “I had wanted to kill, but know I just want to stop” (Alexie 88).

Each piece of evidence shows how Zits progressively starts to regret what he had done in his first life.