Being Nikki By Meg Cabot: Character Analysis

The film that I chose to watch is Frankie and Alice. The true story of a go-go dancer in Los Angeles in the 1970’s. The story explores the character of an African American young lady name Frankie who experiences bouts of blackouts. When she comes too, she does not recall anything that has happened and usually finds herself in the custody of the police. On several occasions Frankie is taken to the psychiatric hospital. Because Frankie does not pose an imminent threat and have no medical urgency, she is usually discharged after a short assessment and even shorter observation.

The Joy Luck Club is Amy Tan's first novel. It consists of four sections with sixteen short stories. One of the main issues of the novel is the relationship between Chinese mothers and their Chinese – American daughters. ‘‘Your mother is in your bones.’’ (Tan 1998, 30) There is a cultural chasm between them because of the difference in the way they were brought up and different influences of the environment.

The movie Girl, Interrupted is based on the memoir written by Susana Kaysen. In this film, Susana Kaysen, the main character is first introduced in the hospital where she was taken shortly after overdosing on aspirin and alcohol. Despite taking a whole bottle of aspirin and alcohol Susana claims that it was not a suicidal attempt. In the hospital scene, there is also evidence on Susana’s wrist that she is what is known as a “wrist banger”, Susana claims that she does this because there are no bones in her hands. Shortly after, Susana is evaluated by a family friend and former psychiatrist and is strongly encouraged to check herself into a mental institution not too far from her, by the name of Claymoore. At Claymoore, she is evaluated by psychiatrist Melvin Potts. He asks her why she took so much aspirin and she replies that she wanted to make the time jumps, depression, and wrist banging stop. Susana is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder once she arrives at Claymoore.

This study will analyze three central characters in the film: Blood Diamond (2006) by director Edward Zwick. By understanding the moral and ethical dilemma of illegal “conflict diamonds” being stolen and smuggled by Danny Archer (Leonardo DiCaprio) there is an unethical and immoral business dilemma he must deal with through other characters he encounters during the Sierra Leone Civil War of 1999. Another character, Solomon Vandy (Djimon Hounsou), is a native of the region that has been captured and forced into slavery as a diamond miner/laborer that invariably comes into contact with Archer after he discovers a large and rare diamond that he hides during his work shift. This aspect of the film opens the possibility of Archer slowly coming

In a superficial society, one may be labeled by how they appear, but what lies inside them could be completely different. This is demonstrated in “Girl Who Loved her Horses,” by Drew Hayden Taylor. A young girl, Danielle, surprises the other children with a spectacular piece of art. Danielle, although seemingly shy and invisible, possesses a determination for drawing her horse, and inside, is full of strength and energy. Danielle is shy and introverted to the point that the other children hardly realize she exists.

In the poem Ego Tripping, Nikki Giovanni uses the voice of a woman speaker who is strong, proud and independent.The word “ego- trip” describes an act of behaving in a self-seeking manner(“Ego- Trip”). Therefore, this is one of the main messages the poem tries to send across to its readers.Although Giovanni targets this poem at an audience of men and women of color, she also aims this poem at herself. She tries to see the good inside of herself. Giovanni inculcates the themes of Religion, Identity, and Africa into her poem. Although Nikki Giovanni penned this poem in 1972, when racial discrimination was at its peak, its messages are still very useful to us even today. The world today, is not much different from 1972.

Sometimes people deceive their friends solely because they are afraid of rejection, but they don't understand the consequences until it is too late. This situation can be found in the book, Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. In the book, Millicent Min, a child genius, finds a friend in volleyball while being forced to tutor Stanford, her biggest rival, in the summer. However, her friend, Emily, develops a crush on Stanford, and Millicent lies about her being a genius, which would vandalize their friendship. Despite the inquisitive decisions the characters made, there are a few things that I found confusing in the book.

When a person grows up, they are in constant search of their identity, of who they are. Yet, the identity of a person is too complex for anyone to form assumptions about it because it involves more than one factor. The assumptions themselves may be insulting to others who truly know what their marginalized group has. According to the poem Nikki-Rose by Nikki Giovanni, “I really hope no white person ever has cause to write about me” (73). People can never enter the minds of others, they can only speculate from what they have seen or heard. Giovanni states that she does not want anyone to write about her, which shows that she believes they will not receive correct information. People may have honest intentions when they produce a comment

“I have learned that something happens when one makes herself available to God: He starts moving in ways no one could imagine” (Davis 43). Such was the case for Katie Davis in her heart-warming novel, Kisses From Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption, co-written by Beth Clark. Katie’s nonfiction memoir speaks passionately about her move to Uganda: here she strengthened her relationship with Jesus, adopted thirteen little Ugandan girls, started a nonprofit ministry, and so much more. Katie’s unique journey teaches about sacrifice for the Lord our God and about following Him wholeheartedly with reckless abandonment. Consequently, Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis is a hopeful story that teaches readers about God’s love for us, and

Do you like history? Then this is a book for you. “A Night Divided” by Jennifer A. Nielsen is a very eye catching book. The book is a story about how a family was split up by the Berlin Wall that went up in Berlin, Germany. It goes along the lines of Greta who is the youngest child in her family. Many thing happen that Greta has to deal with and try to solve, she has to do so while knowing that while she is on the East side that her father and brother are on the West side. This book is realistic fiction and has 317 pages

“The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything” (Fitzpatrick Back Cover). My Life Next Door is a story about Samantha Reed, seventeen year old daughter of state senator Caroline Reed, who falls in love with the boy next door, Jase, who has a large, boisterous family struggling to make ends meet. When Samantha’s mother is involved in a hit-and-run accident, Samantha is faced with difficult decisions and changes in her life. This novel is relatable on many levels due to the wide range of characters present in

Josie Jessop, the main character in Sylvia Olsen's thought provoking book, White Girl, would be a good fit at St. Ignatius because she possesses many characteristics which are beneficial for an SI student, such as her ethnicity, her ability to adapt to new surroundings and situations, and the fact that she is not easily intimidate. These characteristics are present in many SI students and would allow Josie to jump right into the flow of things at St. Ignatius.

Cassie logan helps her friends like little Man at school, or helping T.J. get out of trouble ,and standing up to her rival… Lillian Jean. Cassie is able to help people despite their actions . She is a young courageous girl that stands up for her convictions despite many racism towards the Logan family.In the book Roll of Thunder, hear my cry, Mildred taylor the author shows through the book that Cassie Logan plays a big part in helping her family and friends. She helps her family with the simms and the land.

Susanna Kaysen’s “Girl Interrupted,” is an autobiography in relation to Kaysen’s two-year stay at a mental hospital as she battles borderline personality disorder. Although in denial, Susanna Kaysen is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder but is unable to come to terms with her illness as she reassures herself she is fine. The reader learns that Kaysen is an unreliable narrator that is unable to discover the truth behind her illness. Through the exploration of her relationships, actions, and opinions, enhances the fact that Kaysen is mentally ill. Through her past and present relationship’s, Susanna demonstrates her self-destructive tendencies. Kaysen’s impulsivity in the novel is another indication that her diagnosis is fitting. Finally, Kaysen’s thought process and anxious behavior further prove her as a candidate for BPD.

Little Miss Sunshine is a comedy movie about a seven year old girl named Olive who aspires to win the Little Miss Sunshine pageant. To help make her wish come true, her six-member family takes a road trip from Albuquerque to Redondo Beach, California. At the conclusion of the film, Olive and her family learned to trust and support each other, no matter the situation. Olive is the youngest member of her family who is entering middle childhood and adolescence just like her older brother Dwayne. Olive is the type of girl that is cheerful, most of the time and not particularly the kind you would see in a pageant. Olive’s brother, Dwayne, could be described as “emo”. Although he claims that he hates his family, he loves his sister, Olive. Their parents, Richard and Sheryl, and their Uncle Frank are in the process of entering middle adulthood. Throughout most of the film, Richard is considered selfish because he does not want his family to be seen as “losers”. Richard is obnoxious to his family, but he still means well and wants them to succeed. Sheryl is the normal member of the family who does not tolerate anyone's antics. Uncle Frank is very sarcastic and failed at his attempt to commit suicide. He used to be a college professor, so he is considered the smart guy. The sixth member of Olive’s family, her grandpa, dies during the movie due to an overdose, but was entering the late adulthood stage. The members of Olive’s family share some similarities and differences, but since they all vary in age, developmental concepts will be different in a way for each family member.