DWA

Tyler Kiser

4/25/13

Mrs. Reagles 5^th hour

Text Analysis Essay

Every Little Detail

“Author’s Note:

I wrote this to demonstrate my understanding of Text Analysis.”

Have you ever listened to someone that knows every detail of every event he has taken place in? Do you know a person that does that? In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time, a book I have read recently, the main character and narrator knows all the tiny details to all of the events that he has witnessed in the past and events in the present. This character isn't your average teenage boy though: he is autistic. Christopher, a 14 year old boy has a form of autism and OCD, he doesn't liked to be touched, he can name all the countries and their capitals in the world, and he knows all the prime numbers up to 7,057. Christopher is really just a smart human. 

Christopher from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the night-time picks up every detail to everything he sees. For example when Christopher first goes on his walk in the middle of the night, when he finds dead Wellington he has to pinpoint exactly what house the dog was dead in, "She lived on the opposite side of the road, two houses to the left." (2) This is where the house is on his street where he found the dead dog. Another example of his specific details is "And Mr. Jeavons smells of soap and wears brown shoes that has approximately 60 tiny circular holes in each of them." (5) This is when Christopher describes Mr. Jeavons. Really he can't help not being specific about everything; it is just how he is.

Christopher is a very smart boy especially in Math. Whenever Christopher gets mad or angry he "counted slowly to 50 but without doing the cubes." (170) Christopher was mad at the train station so instead of throwing a fit he counted to 50 but this time he didn't do all their cube roots. He also knows all the countries and capitals of the world, " "The capital city of Venezuela is... (a) Maracas, (b), Caracas, (c) Bogota or (d) Georgetown." And I knew that it was Caracas." (30) This shows that Christopher knows his capitals very well. This also shows that even though he has autism he can still be smart. Just because he is special doesn't mean he can't be intelligent  like other people. 

Christopher reminds me of a character from a TV show. His name is Shawn Spencer  and is from “Psych”. Shawn is a detective for the Santa Barbara Police department and is just like Christopher in so many ways. One way they are alike is he notices all of the tiny details that the other characters miss. He then uses them to solve crimes like Christopher who solved the Wellington Case. Finally they both are very intelligent. For instance Shawn took a police test to see if he qualified to be a detective and he aced it while no one else in history has ever got a 100%. On the other hand Christopher got an “A grade” on his A level math test.

Overall Christopher is a kind-hearted,  smart kid like everyone else or most people at least. Just because he has autism doesn’t mean Christopher can't change the world with his 6th sense. You never know, maybe someday Christopher will become a real astronaut  or a detective with his highly sophisticated brain. In conclusion Christopher John Francis Boone isn't your average teenager, but a brilliant 14 year old.

"A Clean Well-lighted Place"

Even though a book and movie can be about the same topic or story there can still be many scenes, many lines, and many characters that are different. An example of this is the short story and film, “A Clean Well-lighted Place”.  Even though it is not a long film it has a lot of tiny details different from the story. There are also many parts that are the same too.

 For example one thing different in the movie from the story is when the waiter pours the old man another drink he doesn’t fill it up high enough and the old man wants more. When he pours the extra drink in, the waiter gives him a bad attitude and fills it over the rim, but in the story he pours the extra beer in kindly. Another difference is in the story the old man sits in a chair covered in the shadows of the trees, while in the movie he is in a booth with tons of light shining on him.

 The story and movie also have some things in common. One example is in the story and movie the dialogue is exactly the same, word for word. This made the story make a little more sense because it was a little confusing but when you see it in action it clears things up. The last example of how they are the same is the week before the old man tries to commit suicide by hanging himself but his niece comes to the rescue and cuts him down.

These two pieces share many things in common and have many differences, but in the end both the movie and the story share same meaning.  They both make it clear that the old man is in a lot of despair and darkness, along with “…the waiter in a hurry…” too. On the other hand the waiter who looks on the positive side walks in the light and not into darkness and despair. If it all came down to the dark and the light which side would you pick?

Creative Writing

Tyler Kiser

4/11/13

Mrs. Reagles 5^th hour

Creative Writing

Refereeing

“Author’s Note:

I wrote this piece to demonstrate my understanding of creative writing.”

It had to have been the most boring 8 hours of my life. I had been sitting there in the same seat for 5 hours now and final it was time for test. I better pass this. I thought. I don't want to retake the whole 16 hours over again just to be a soccer referee. 

Finally as all the tests were out, we began. As I soared through the question, through the pack-it, and through my mind, I finally had got into my rhythm, 20…40…60…80…90, 10 more left! I'm in the home stretch of the class! 3...2…1, the last question! I filled in the last box and turned in my test praying and hoping I pass. 

"Okay you guys can get can get up, take a break, and eat your lunch," the instructor informed us.

"Finally," I whispered to my neighbor while going to the hall.

"Do you think you passed?" Hunter asked as we got outside.

"I hope," I answered.

"Me too! That would suck if you didn't, having to retake the whole class!"

"I know! It would suck!" 

"I could barely last 20 minutes in this class without getting bored, but having another 16 hours on this 16 hours, I would die!"

"I feel ya bro, but I'm gonna go eat, I'm starved!" I answered while walking away. 

When I got to my seat, I pulled out my lunch and dug in right away, instantly entering heaven. This right here is some top quality food. I thought jokingly. It feels like I haven't ate in ages!

I devoured the roast beef sandwich, the apple, the chex mix, until I came to my last substance of the glorious food: the granola bar. "No! It can't be, my lunch was just so scrumptious, but now it's gone!" I whispered painfully while finishing the granola bar.

"Okay everyone back in to find out your grades and get out of here!" the instructor said enthusiastically.

"Thank God I finished my food before we had to come in because that would have been horrific having to give up my babies!" I murmured.

Soon we were all back in and they began handing the tests back, "John, Matt, Tyler..."

There was my name, I better have passed or I will be really pissed! I thought while walking up to get my test. Once it was in my grasp I read the score at the top: 92%! I passed! 

"Thank goodness!" I shouted a little too loud and got a couple odd stares. "What? I passed!" I said in return.

"Hopefully you guys are happy with your score, but now it’s time to wrap this sucker up! Everybody make sure you have everything and get out of here!" she stated as we all rushed for the door.

When I broke into the open, through the crowd I spotted my dad sitting in his "sports car" waiting for me. Once I got into the car I broke him the news, "I passed!"