Jacob's+Literary+Critique

wwww What is a story? Why is a story told and passed down through generations and centuries? There are a many types of stories in our world today. One type is stories regarding cultures and/or religions. Books like the Bible, the Torah, the Karan, etc. have meaning. They are the tales and histories of a certain religious leader or background on how these religions came to be the way they are. Cultural tales of one’s ancestors or the progression of land or family throughout time is a story worth passing down. Stories like these are meaningful and start long-lasting connections. To bond over a story is like nothing else. So many different opinions are formed at each twist and turn of novels that it would be easy to simply reminisce forever. Provoking thought is a huge aspect of story-telling which makes it worth remembering. Not only do these stories have to spark thoughts for conversing about after the story, but predictions can be made throughout novels as well. For example, in mystery stories, one tries to connect the dots. In Alfred Hitchcock’s //Pyscho//, my brain was rapidly calculating and rethinking who the murderer could possibly be. This movie was a story worth telling for me. Others can form a different opinion which is why so many stories in our world today are considered worthwhile. On the other hand, upon completing //Will Grayson, Will Grayson// by John Green and David Levithan, I wanted to converse with my fellow peers about their thoughts on the ending. These thoughts are interesting, consequential, and meaningful.

wwww No one enjoys suffering through a drab movie or dreading the flip of a page. To make a story worth telling, it must be interesting to someone. For example, personally, I would not be interested in a tale about the daily life of a farmer and the rotation of plants to harvest. That is not a story worth telling because I am not fond of farming novels. Some people, though, may enjoy those kinds of exciting adventures of a farmer; that would be an adequate story to read. If a person is not personally invested in the plot of certain novels, movies, fables, oral traditions, etc., said stories will not be worth their time, hence, not worth telling. To me, this criterion of a worth-while story is more important because people occasionally need their guilty pleasures. //Jersey Shore //, of course, has no meaning or lessons worth learning. But, some people sift through the trash to find the enjoyment. Stories which fulfill both of these needs are the best. Fables, often times, are very successful because they teach lessons to children while remaining fun to read. //Green Eggs and Ham // is catchy by rhyming and making up new creatures and food; it also teaches kids to be open to new ideas and try new things.

wwww //The Fault in Our Stars // by John Green goes above and beyond my standard for these criteria of a good story. He found the perfect balance of comedy and tragedy to open my eyes to so many ideas without shoving them down my throat. John Green managed to make me interested in the world and what surrounds me. I have never had deaths in my family that are cancer related, but I feel as if I can now imagine what it must feel like to lose someone to this disease. Because the two main characters of this novel are over educated for their age, they often discuss the universe and oblivion. While reading this story, I imagined what kind of impact I am going to leave on the world. Do I want to follow Augustus’s mindset and leave my mark in the universe? Would I prefer minimizing my impact on everyone and simply try to simply slip away? Will I die //for? // Will I die //of? // Overall, this book left me with more questions than I started with. In some cases, this one included, it is a good thing. Upon finishing this novel, I had to close it, set it down, and think. I simply thought about the characters, their adventures, their actions and most of all, their words. Through Hazel and Augustus, I learned so much and learned to appreciate the beauty of the world around me while I’m here to enjoy it. To me, this story was meaningful and it was definitely a page-turner. //The Fault in Our Stars // is and will always be a worth-while story for everyone to indulge in.

wwww Authors, producers/directors, playwrights, etc. that manage to appeal to a crowd while staying with who they want to be impress me greatly. They strive to have a point or teach a lesson while remaining interesting. When successful, these kinds of people make the world so much better.