Journal 2
The character development interests me in this story. I liked how it was shown and not just told. Like saying Mrs. Abraham was the type of parent to be worried and a helicopter wouldn’t have been enough to help see what she is like. The scene where she tells the bus driver to be careful because kids are aboard shows how she is as a parent. Jill’s voice is dry but full of a lot of information. But not just about what is going on around her, it’s her thoughts and saying what her aunt says helps give life to her as a character. She’s building herself as a character with a perspective and feelings. Not just oh she thought of doing something. That’s so bland. It gives the story uniqueness, makes it personal and captivating so the reader will actually want to sit down and read the story. I mean I want to finish it. I feel like I’ve been left on a cliffhanger, I want to know what happens next with this character after the butterflies were released. What about the ride home? What happens next with Esau and his mother? As characters how do they change and show more characteristics of being real people.
Journal #2 – One of the elements that I thought was done well in this short story was the setting. I have worked in a museum setting so I really enjoyed the description of the high ceilings and exhibits. However, the children I worked with, ages twelve to fourteen, were very different and seemed much younger than the characters in this story. So many elements of the characters did not have the ring of truth for me. That being said, I found the description of the bus bumping along the road, and the children collecting cheeto dust like pollen to be very vivid. I particularly liked the description of the cheeto dust. The description of the spaces in which the story unfolds were well done. The discovery room and the room with the dinosaurs really evoked a sense of place for me and I could picture museums that I visited as a child. I did think some of the time elements were a little more confused, for example on page 158 where it is said that “…this was the first time an elementary school class- or any class- had been invited to spend the night.” Also on page 164 “…she[Esau’s mother] grabbed Esau in a hug…” – these seem to point to these being younger children, I think an older child would lose social capital as other students watched Esau’s relationship with his mother. However, the character of Jill doesn’t necessarily read like your typical elementary school student, as her thoughts are very adult compared to the elementary students I have known throughout my own life. This is an odd contrast when placed beside the relationship between Esau and his mother. So I think that the story’s setting could benefit from a little more clarity about how old these children are.
In this short story, I discovered a unique sense of voice in its characters. Each person described from the view of the narrator – Jill – had a distinct presence and played a role in shaping the story and creating further insight into Jill. There are continuous observations about Jill’s surroundings and the people occupying that space – even without the spoken dialogue – she is able to let the reader in on their relationship with her. The way she goes about the trip to the museum allows readers to understand the world better by detailing her emotions – including how they shift – and the specific actions and objects she or others interact with. It is as though the reader is Jill’s eyes and thoughts, yet we have her voice to escort us through her story. Her voice is the most potent when elaborating on her plans to be close to Esau and when she displays jealousy towards those close to him, like his mother and Adam. We see how she feels greater than other girls her age, distancing herself from them while using them to further her own agenda and showcase her inner self. As a prominent fixture in this story, Jill’s voice is able to create a robust story and a sense of groundedness in the reader’s mind and clears a path for us to see her development.
In Kristen Iskandrian Good with Boys I saw a lot of character development with the main character Jill from the start of the story to the end. In the start of the story Jill is very fixated on boys and says she knows everything they like, how they think, and how having a personality is more powerful with boys than not having one. Throughout the story she follows around the boy who is interested in Esau and is doing anything she can to be near him even if it’s putting her sleeping bag 5ft away from his. Jill follows Esau and his friend Adam to the dinosaur exhibit that is on the 2nd floor, even though they aren’t supposed to be on that floor Jill says “ Let’s just go”, “We can pretend we didn’t know” they go up to the second floor and when Adam loses his balance trying to touch a dinosaur him and Esau end up falling on the floor together and Jill feels a pang of jealousy, “I stood above them, surprised by my anger…” Jill feels surprised by her anger towards the relationship between Adam and Esau. After the night at the museum there was a bit of a turning point for Jill. She see’s Adam and Esau standing close together and there was a turning point for her. She ignore the butterflies she felt.
The element of craft that interested me most in this story was the plot. I found this story ‘s plot extremely interesting, as we have probably all been on school field trips before and can relate in some sort of way. Each main aspect and event within this story led to another, which also aided to Jill’s character development. At the beginning of the story, we learn about who Jill is, and that her ultimate goal at the end of the trip is to have slept closely to Esau whom she finds extremely interesting. As readers, we are already wondering what the outcome of this goal will be, and if she will get caught by her teacher Mrs. Abraham. Unfortunately, Esau’s mom is one of the chaperones on the field trip which poses another threat to Jill’s mission. While reading through the progressing plot, the author provides us with deeper reasoning of why certain things are happening throughout the story. She talks about how Jill loves boys, yet wants to keep it a secret. She wants to show little attention to them even though they mean so much to her, because she does not want to seem desperate. Jill knows what boys want and how they need to be interacted with. Knowing this, she makes them talk to her which exemplifies the dominant power she is claiming. Jill seems to have a larger-than-life character and has almost an above age level mindset. Esau and Jill end up sneaking into the forbidden dinosaur exhibit with Adam. This is the point in the story where readers are making their decisions on whether or not they think Jill can accomplish her goal. In the middle of the night, Jill is unfortunately caught by Mrs. Abraham and told to go back to the girl’s side. This failure changed Jill’s character, which may or may not be strategically resembled by monarch butterflies that were released the morning after the sleepover. Even though she was upset and horrified in the moment of being caught, as the plot progressed, we see how she recognizes her own transformation and is forever changed as an individual.
When it comes to this story, I think the one element of craft that stands out the most and interests me the most is the dialogue choices, especially from the main character. Towards the beginning of the story, the dialogue from the protagonist seemed a lot more casual and somewhat like banter you would here between high school students, but as the story progresses and the plot and setting take shifts and turns, the dialogue shifts from casual banter to more exposition and professional like. The main character goes from using a little more profanity and vulgar language to explaining themselves more in depth and casually. Furthermore, I notice how the protagonist seems to have a few insecurities about themselves that is expresses in emotion and the constant asking of reassuring questions. There was one part towards the end of the story where after they received sleeping bags and had one final conduct lecture, the character is still awake and still alert. They then start asking themselves a bunch of questions about their need for a certain guy’s full undivided attention, and these questions and constant second guessing, as well as not crying but dreaming humiliating dreams, almost shows possible insecurities about the character, rather than dedicating a whole paragraph explaining what their insecurities are. I think that is a strong use of dialogue and the correct choice when it comes to a story like this. Overall, this was the one thing that immediately jumped out at me, being the development through dialogue choices and then ending the story a little darker than it started. That is what I think jumped out at me.
What intrigued me the most about this story was the setting. The setting was introduced in the very first line and I would say it is quite impactful. I do not think it is a common occurrence which is why it caught my attention. Why would there be an elementary school field trip that requires the students to spend the night there? I am genuinely curios about this, and this is coming from someone that has experienced spending the night at the museum as a 4th grader and honestly, I do not get it. In this story, the museum is very important for the plot because Jill is hoping to get a little something from Esau and an overnight class field trip makes sense. If the setting took place in a different location, I think Jill would have had a harder time getting Esau to herself, especially since he was not interested in her. Jill was adamant about doing things her way and not caring about her pride. The freedom that Jill must have felt in a large building with many students must have boosted her confidence that she could capture Esau. The fascination that the students had with the Minerology and Paleontology room shows that they are just kids, no matter Jill’s extreme and boy obsessed personality. I also wonder if perhaps the museum became some kind of symbol that perhaps Jill by the end of the story had left her feelings behind as it was now history.
Character development might be my favorite element of writing. I appreciate parts like dialogue, relationships, and plot deeply, and acknowledge their importance, but character development is something that tends to stick with me after I’ve finished a piece of media. While reading is a favorite hobby of mine, I consume a lot of shows and movies that lay out character development perfectly. The redemption of a character that previously felt irredeemable is an unreal feeling. However, intense character development, such as a character going from evil to good, is not the only type of character development. It is generally first thought of when the term is brought up, but there is much more. Even simple development, like a character accepting someone in their life, is incredibly gratifying. I think the reason I find such comfort in this is that I enjoy watching it happen in real life. Change happens in myself and in others, and I like to think of it as character development. Because essentially, it is the same thing. Whether it’s good or bad development, it is a part of your character that is changed through either yourself or outside forces. Because of this, I appreciate reading about it even more. It’s almost like I’m examining it in a controlled environment. Something that is manipulated so that it is either entertaining, satisfying, or shocking. Out of all the elements of writing and media, these are just a few reasons that character development is the most impactful and impressionable to me.
In Good with Boys, I enjoy the characterization of Jill, the narrator, and the glimpse into her vibrant personality that these few pages offer. She is clearly confident and snarky, but also insecure and shy. Her crush on Esau consumes her, and she is obsessive about it. Obsessive enough that she positions herself against the girls in her class to appeal to him. The story progresses and Jill becomes discouraged by the lack of reciprocation by Esau regarding their “relationship,” and by the end she feels ashamed and embarrassed that her actions have gone noticed by the girls, but unnoticed by her crush. The feelings which aren’t called out by name but are expressed by small comments and actions (things like “the only thing worse than a girl with glasses…was a girl with dirty glasses” and “my unsinkable heart sank”) build her personality very effectively. While the story isn’t particularly interesting by traditional means, it is appealing in a personal way and keeps the reader engaged because the narrator is so true-to-life.
Journal #2
I found the chosen setting of a middle school field trip to be a really interesting choice. I do not believe this story was that of the main character Jill remembering this experience as an adult, but rather we are being brought along with her as she makes her way through this day. The reason I find it interesting that we are on a field trip and in a museum is because, at least for me, I remember field trips I went on in school far better than pretty much any other time I spent with my class. A class trip has a way of feeling distinguished, likely because you become so used to seeing your entire class only within the context of your school. I think Jill has brought us along for a day that she will remember for the rest of her life. She will replay everything from the bus ride to her untold return home over and over again. In the beginning she will likely feel shame around the embarrassing parts, but eventually this will fade and it will be a day she remembers as teaching a lot about herself. The choice of the museum is also very interesting. A museum is a place where we store artifacts of knowledge, a place where you can learn so many things about the world. But instead of learning about the world Jill was learning about herself and about Esau. Learning about shame and sexuality. Learning that sometimes no matter how badly you want something, it just isn’t in the cards for you.
I couldn’t stop myself from picking multiple elements of craft that interested me throughout this story, there wasn’t much going on but the flow of it just captivated me. The easiness that flowed between background building and present character “development” (I’m saying development because of how the story moves, she realizes there are things out of her control like how she can’t help how boys feel no matter how “in control” she may feel). I felt that her use of captivating repetition to portray how set-in-stone her feelings were about Esau through punctuation was intriguing. Her use of senses to pull the reader into the work really impressed me, and there was nice flow and sentence structure, her transitions didn’t feel out of the blue they just, again, flowed very nicely. She used humor and realistic dialogue, nothing felt staged or stagnant, which you can’t have in a short story since you need to keep your audience into the story. She had such an easy way with balancing the background of our character, juggling her aunt into the story and that sense of self reflection really stuck with me by the end. The author’s visualization of the scenes were really impressive as well, it felt like I was in the museum with our characters looking at the dinosaurs and the brain and feeling like an insect, as the author wrote, when the children looked at the dinosaurs. I felt so connected to our main character, though it was a short story I felt connected to the girlhood and adolescence portrayed over ten pages.
Something that interested me in the story was the author’s ability to show not tell, while also, occasionally, telling. The author provided small details about the characters in a way that leads us to believe that the boys may have been gay, the main character was deeply insecure, and the students were young but not elementary. I really enjoyed seeing the way that small details, such as a girl dabbing her pizza with a napkin before eating it, gave me insight into that character. Another example — readers can assume the narrator has a stronger connection with her great aunt than her other family members, as the aunt is mentioned more than anyone else, although her family dynamic is never explicitly stated.
The element of craft that interested me throughout the story was plot. For me at times the plot was confusing but as the story went on, I felt like I understood it more and more. I think that the plot was very clear and understandable once the initial confusion about what was going on was understood and I think that allowed me to have a better feel for the story in general. I think that the plot was strange in a way as well, because it felt like the story was being told from a memory of someone who was older however, the story mentioned that in the setting it was a story about elementary school students so some of the words used and the topics seemed a little too much for kids that age. With that being said, that led me to question if the story was being told as a memory that had been messed with or skewed in a way and that the narrator was remembering faulty information. I think as a whole though that the plot was very well put together and kept me engaged throughout the story because I was wondering if the girl in the story would make a move on the guy or if she would be ignored and so throughout the reading the plot was able to keep me hooked and entertained. There were a couple of questions that I did have when reading, especially towards the end because it seemed like something was disconnected.
Edward Iannuzzi-Sucich
Journal #2
9/3/2024
The beginning part of the story is characterized by the bus ride, in which the main character and overall setting is introduced. We learn about Jill’s physical and mental outlook, and we learn about her interest in boys, at this particular moment Esau. I would characterize the middle as the museum experience itself, in which we learn even more about Jill as she tries to interact with Esau. We learn about Jill more as a person: for instance, her interests outside of boys, and her creative and intelligent nature even at a young age. She appears to have little patience for childish foolishness, whether it be inappropriate jokes or plain horsing around. She also makes and implements various plans for talking with Esau, including putting her sleeping bag on the same side of the room as his and encouraging the dinosaur room escapade. At the end of the story, during bedtime and then the butterfly release in the following morning, Jill undergoes a transformation. Although hurt, she seems to intuitively recognize that a few years from now this crush will be insignificant, and she takes pleasure in the small joy of the butterflies being released, symbolizing change and growth. It was also funny how she was expecting a lecture on the stupid, pointless habits of butterflies prior to their release, when in fact the whole story was, in a sense, about stupid and pointless habits of a middle school aged girl.
14 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 2”
Journal 2
The character development interests me in this story. I liked how it was shown and not just told. Like saying Mrs. Abraham was the type of parent to be worried and a helicopter wouldn’t have been enough to help see what she is like. The scene where she tells the bus driver to be careful because kids are aboard shows how she is as a parent. Jill’s voice is dry but full of a lot of information. But not just about what is going on around her, it’s her thoughts and saying what her aunt says helps give life to her as a character. She’s building herself as a character with a perspective and feelings. Not just oh she thought of doing something. That’s so bland. It gives the story uniqueness, makes it personal and captivating so the reader will actually want to sit down and read the story. I mean I want to finish it. I feel like I’ve been left on a cliffhanger, I want to know what happens next with this character after the butterflies were released. What about the ride home? What happens next with Esau and his mother? As characters how do they change and show more characteristics of being real people.
Journal #2 – One of the elements that I thought was done well in this short story was the setting. I have worked in a museum setting so I really enjoyed the description of the high ceilings and exhibits. However, the children I worked with, ages twelve to fourteen, were very different and seemed much younger than the characters in this story. So many elements of the characters did not have the ring of truth for me. That being said, I found the description of the bus bumping along the road, and the children collecting cheeto dust like pollen to be very vivid. I particularly liked the description of the cheeto dust. The description of the spaces in which the story unfolds were well done. The discovery room and the room with the dinosaurs really evoked a sense of place for me and I could picture museums that I visited as a child. I did think some of the time elements were a little more confused, for example on page 158 where it is said that “…this was the first time an elementary school class- or any class- had been invited to spend the night.” Also on page 164 “…she[Esau’s mother] grabbed Esau in a hug…” – these seem to point to these being younger children, I think an older child would lose social capital as other students watched Esau’s relationship with his mother. However, the character of Jill doesn’t necessarily read like your typical elementary school student, as her thoughts are very adult compared to the elementary students I have known throughout my own life. This is an odd contrast when placed beside the relationship between Esau and his mother. So I think that the story’s setting could benefit from a little more clarity about how old these children are.
In this short story, I discovered a unique sense of voice in its characters. Each person described from the view of the narrator – Jill – had a distinct presence and played a role in shaping the story and creating further insight into Jill. There are continuous observations about Jill’s surroundings and the people occupying that space – even without the spoken dialogue – she is able to let the reader in on their relationship with her. The way she goes about the trip to the museum allows readers to understand the world better by detailing her emotions – including how they shift – and the specific actions and objects she or others interact with. It is as though the reader is Jill’s eyes and thoughts, yet we have her voice to escort us through her story. Her voice is the most potent when elaborating on her plans to be close to Esau and when she displays jealousy towards those close to him, like his mother and Adam. We see how she feels greater than other girls her age, distancing herself from them while using them to further her own agenda and showcase her inner self. As a prominent fixture in this story, Jill’s voice is able to create a robust story and a sense of groundedness in the reader’s mind and clears a path for us to see her development.
In Kristen Iskandrian Good with Boys I saw a lot of character development with the main character Jill from the start of the story to the end. In the start of the story Jill is very fixated on boys and says she knows everything they like, how they think, and how having a personality is more powerful with boys than not having one. Throughout the story she follows around the boy who is interested in Esau and is doing anything she can to be near him even if it’s putting her sleeping bag 5ft away from his. Jill follows Esau and his friend Adam to the dinosaur exhibit that is on the 2nd floor, even though they aren’t supposed to be on that floor Jill says “ Let’s just go”, “We can pretend we didn’t know” they go up to the second floor and when Adam loses his balance trying to touch a dinosaur him and Esau end up falling on the floor together and Jill feels a pang of jealousy, “I stood above them, surprised by my anger…” Jill feels surprised by her anger towards the relationship between Adam and Esau. After the night at the museum there was a bit of a turning point for Jill. She see’s Adam and Esau standing close together and there was a turning point for her. She ignore the butterflies she felt.
The element of craft that interested me most in this story was the plot. I found this story ‘s plot extremely interesting, as we have probably all been on school field trips before and can relate in some sort of way. Each main aspect and event within this story led to another, which also aided to Jill’s character development. At the beginning of the story, we learn about who Jill is, and that her ultimate goal at the end of the trip is to have slept closely to Esau whom she finds extremely interesting. As readers, we are already wondering what the outcome of this goal will be, and if she will get caught by her teacher Mrs. Abraham. Unfortunately, Esau’s mom is one of the chaperones on the field trip which poses another threat to Jill’s mission. While reading through the progressing plot, the author provides us with deeper reasoning of why certain things are happening throughout the story. She talks about how Jill loves boys, yet wants to keep it a secret. She wants to show little attention to them even though they mean so much to her, because she does not want to seem desperate. Jill knows what boys want and how they need to be interacted with. Knowing this, she makes them talk to her which exemplifies the dominant power she is claiming. Jill seems to have a larger-than-life character and has almost an above age level mindset. Esau and Jill end up sneaking into the forbidden dinosaur exhibit with Adam. This is the point in the story where readers are making their decisions on whether or not they think Jill can accomplish her goal. In the middle of the night, Jill is unfortunately caught by Mrs. Abraham and told to go back to the girl’s side. This failure changed Jill’s character, which may or may not be strategically resembled by monarch butterflies that were released the morning after the sleepover. Even though she was upset and horrified in the moment of being caught, as the plot progressed, we see how she recognizes her own transformation and is forever changed as an individual.
When it comes to this story, I think the one element of craft that stands out the most and interests me the most is the dialogue choices, especially from the main character. Towards the beginning of the story, the dialogue from the protagonist seemed a lot more casual and somewhat like banter you would here between high school students, but as the story progresses and the plot and setting take shifts and turns, the dialogue shifts from casual banter to more exposition and professional like. The main character goes from using a little more profanity and vulgar language to explaining themselves more in depth and casually. Furthermore, I notice how the protagonist seems to have a few insecurities about themselves that is expresses in emotion and the constant asking of reassuring questions. There was one part towards the end of the story where after they received sleeping bags and had one final conduct lecture, the character is still awake and still alert. They then start asking themselves a bunch of questions about their need for a certain guy’s full undivided attention, and these questions and constant second guessing, as well as not crying but dreaming humiliating dreams, almost shows possible insecurities about the character, rather than dedicating a whole paragraph explaining what their insecurities are. I think that is a strong use of dialogue and the correct choice when it comes to a story like this. Overall, this was the one thing that immediately jumped out at me, being the development through dialogue choices and then ending the story a little darker than it started. That is what I think jumped out at me.
What intrigued me the most about this story was the setting. The setting was introduced in the very first line and I would say it is quite impactful. I do not think it is a common occurrence which is why it caught my attention. Why would there be an elementary school field trip that requires the students to spend the night there? I am genuinely curios about this, and this is coming from someone that has experienced spending the night at the museum as a 4th grader and honestly, I do not get it. In this story, the museum is very important for the plot because Jill is hoping to get a little something from Esau and an overnight class field trip makes sense. If the setting took place in a different location, I think Jill would have had a harder time getting Esau to herself, especially since he was not interested in her. Jill was adamant about doing things her way and not caring about her pride. The freedom that Jill must have felt in a large building with many students must have boosted her confidence that she could capture Esau. The fascination that the students had with the Minerology and Paleontology room shows that they are just kids, no matter Jill’s extreme and boy obsessed personality. I also wonder if perhaps the museum became some kind of symbol that perhaps Jill by the end of the story had left her feelings behind as it was now history.
Character development might be my favorite element of writing. I appreciate parts like dialogue, relationships, and plot deeply, and acknowledge their importance, but character development is something that tends to stick with me after I’ve finished a piece of media. While reading is a favorite hobby of mine, I consume a lot of shows and movies that lay out character development perfectly. The redemption of a character that previously felt irredeemable is an unreal feeling. However, intense character development, such as a character going from evil to good, is not the only type of character development. It is generally first thought of when the term is brought up, but there is much more. Even simple development, like a character accepting someone in their life, is incredibly gratifying. I think the reason I find such comfort in this is that I enjoy watching it happen in real life. Change happens in myself and in others, and I like to think of it as character development. Because essentially, it is the same thing. Whether it’s good or bad development, it is a part of your character that is changed through either yourself or outside forces. Because of this, I appreciate reading about it even more. It’s almost like I’m examining it in a controlled environment. Something that is manipulated so that it is either entertaining, satisfying, or shocking. Out of all the elements of writing and media, these are just a few reasons that character development is the most impactful and impressionable to me.
In Good with Boys, I enjoy the characterization of Jill, the narrator, and the glimpse into her vibrant personality that these few pages offer. She is clearly confident and snarky, but also insecure and shy. Her crush on Esau consumes her, and she is obsessive about it. Obsessive enough that she positions herself against the girls in her class to appeal to him. The story progresses and Jill becomes discouraged by the lack of reciprocation by Esau regarding their “relationship,” and by the end she feels ashamed and embarrassed that her actions have gone noticed by the girls, but unnoticed by her crush. The feelings which aren’t called out by name but are expressed by small comments and actions (things like “the only thing worse than a girl with glasses…was a girl with dirty glasses” and “my unsinkable heart sank”) build her personality very effectively. While the story isn’t particularly interesting by traditional means, it is appealing in a personal way and keeps the reader engaged because the narrator is so true-to-life.
Journal #2
I found the chosen setting of a middle school field trip to be a really interesting choice. I do not believe this story was that of the main character Jill remembering this experience as an adult, but rather we are being brought along with her as she makes her way through this day. The reason I find it interesting that we are on a field trip and in a museum is because, at least for me, I remember field trips I went on in school far better than pretty much any other time I spent with my class. A class trip has a way of feeling distinguished, likely because you become so used to seeing your entire class only within the context of your school. I think Jill has brought us along for a day that she will remember for the rest of her life. She will replay everything from the bus ride to her untold return home over and over again. In the beginning she will likely feel shame around the embarrassing parts, but eventually this will fade and it will be a day she remembers as teaching a lot about herself. The choice of the museum is also very interesting. A museum is a place where we store artifacts of knowledge, a place where you can learn so many things about the world. But instead of learning about the world Jill was learning about herself and about Esau. Learning about shame and sexuality. Learning that sometimes no matter how badly you want something, it just isn’t in the cards for you.
I couldn’t stop myself from picking multiple elements of craft that interested me throughout this story, there wasn’t much going on but the flow of it just captivated me. The easiness that flowed between background building and present character “development” (I’m saying development because of how the story moves, she realizes there are things out of her control like how she can’t help how boys feel no matter how “in control” she may feel). I felt that her use of captivating repetition to portray how set-in-stone her feelings were about Esau through punctuation was intriguing. Her use of senses to pull the reader into the work really impressed me, and there was nice flow and sentence structure, her transitions didn’t feel out of the blue they just, again, flowed very nicely. She used humor and realistic dialogue, nothing felt staged or stagnant, which you can’t have in a short story since you need to keep your audience into the story. She had such an easy way with balancing the background of our character, juggling her aunt into the story and that sense of self reflection really stuck with me by the end. The author’s visualization of the scenes were really impressive as well, it felt like I was in the museum with our characters looking at the dinosaurs and the brain and feeling like an insect, as the author wrote, when the children looked at the dinosaurs. I felt so connected to our main character, though it was a short story I felt connected to the girlhood and adolescence portrayed over ten pages.
Something that interested me in the story was the author’s ability to show not tell, while also, occasionally, telling. The author provided small details about the characters in a way that leads us to believe that the boys may have been gay, the main character was deeply insecure, and the students were young but not elementary. I really enjoyed seeing the way that small details, such as a girl dabbing her pizza with a napkin before eating it, gave me insight into that character. Another example — readers can assume the narrator has a stronger connection with her great aunt than her other family members, as the aunt is mentioned more than anyone else, although her family dynamic is never explicitly stated.
The element of craft that interested me throughout the story was plot. For me at times the plot was confusing but as the story went on, I felt like I understood it more and more. I think that the plot was very clear and understandable once the initial confusion about what was going on was understood and I think that allowed me to have a better feel for the story in general. I think that the plot was strange in a way as well, because it felt like the story was being told from a memory of someone who was older however, the story mentioned that in the setting it was a story about elementary school students so some of the words used and the topics seemed a little too much for kids that age. With that being said, that led me to question if the story was being told as a memory that had been messed with or skewed in a way and that the narrator was remembering faulty information. I think as a whole though that the plot was very well put together and kept me engaged throughout the story because I was wondering if the girl in the story would make a move on the guy or if she would be ignored and so throughout the reading the plot was able to keep me hooked and entertained. There were a couple of questions that I did have when reading, especially towards the end because it seemed like something was disconnected.
Edward Iannuzzi-Sucich
Journal #2
9/3/2024
The beginning part of the story is characterized by the bus ride, in which the main character and overall setting is introduced. We learn about Jill’s physical and mental outlook, and we learn about her interest in boys, at this particular moment Esau. I would characterize the middle as the museum experience itself, in which we learn even more about Jill as she tries to interact with Esau. We learn about Jill more as a person: for instance, her interests outside of boys, and her creative and intelligent nature even at a young age. She appears to have little patience for childish foolishness, whether it be inappropriate jokes or plain horsing around. She also makes and implements various plans for talking with Esau, including putting her sleeping bag on the same side of the room as his and encouraging the dinosaur room escapade. At the end of the story, during bedtime and then the butterfly release in the following morning, Jill undergoes a transformation. Although hurt, she seems to intuitively recognize that a few years from now this crush will be insignificant, and she takes pleasure in the small joy of the butterflies being released, symbolizing change and growth. It was also funny how she was expecting a lecture on the stupid, pointless habits of butterflies prior to their release, when in fact the whole story was, in a sense, about stupid and pointless habits of a middle school aged girl.