Alex has become quite reflective of what he has witnessed since arriving in China. "Things at home would seem different now. I knew, just knew that from now on there would be some kind of gap between me and the other kids." pg. 231 What kind of gap do you think Alex is referring to? How would his life be different? As you respond imagine that you are Alex. Respond as if you are now coming back to Surrey B.C. and living once again in your home, with your friends and family. How would your life change, or would it change? Alex was an avid historian in regards to the art of war. Do you think his thoughts around war have changed? How might they have changed?
Write a response using the above as guidance. Remember to write in full sentences, connecting your thoughts in paragraph form. Capitals, spelling and punctuation allow your reader the ability to understand what you are saying.
i would be scared of coming back and having no won believe me about all the stuff i have been through also i would feel scared about going to war and i defiantly would not go in the war
ReplyDeleteya but they will believe you if you show them your leg and they will see the bullet hole.
DeleteI think that if i went to china and that happend and i came back to what i have i would be much more grate full for what i have and give what i dont use to charity or just not waste at all. i think befor alex thought that war was cool or fun but when he witnesed it himself he found out that there is nothing fun or cool about people killing other people. alex would be refuring to how he saw how china didnt have computers or phones or that many cars but his freinds would not beleve that and keep whanting to have to have the latist and greatis.
ReplyDeleteI would feel really disapointed that no one would belive me because that is probably a really tough thing that Alex is going through and no one wants to come back home from such a big trip and have nobody belive you. You want to have people be proud of you and belive you because your the one that went through anything and your the one that was on that trip so how would they what you have been through. And i would also be scared of getting hurt and not knowing where i was and where your family is, Alex must feel really worried and scared. He probably would start to realize how painfull it would be to live in these times. but then you compare it to what we have everyone is all caught up on the latest video game, clothes or shoes. and it it makes you feel bad and feel annoyed evan just thinking about it is annoying so we always should be thankfull with what you have no matter if you have a new pair of shoes or not. And it would make me feel more giving.
ReplyDeleteI think that Alex wont like the art of war when he gets back to Canada because he has seen what war really is and it's not good so i think that China has changed him a lot.
ReplyDeletei think the gap between hem and his friends is that he has gon throu toffer things and will be more responsable for his actions.
ReplyDeleteI think he will be more thankful about everything that he has scince he has seen how teens his age live in china as in not having the freedom of speech or has to have a certant job.
ReplyDeleteI think if I went to China and I witness what happened there and I came back I would be more grateful about the things I have.
ReplyDeleteI think Alex would be a lot different because in China they don't have that much and we have a lot so I think he will be a lot more great full for what he has.
ReplyDeleteI think that it would be disapointing, because no one will belives Alex and what he and his dad, had gon through.It will not only be disapointing, but it will be sad because he has seen what his friends in china have to deal with and how little the have. Alex see's what he has to be greatful about, but his friends at home wouldn't see what they have to be greatful to.
ReplyDeleteIf I was Alex, I think that it would change my life if I came back to my friends and family because I have witnessed the art of war and it would have changed my life around that.
ReplyDeleteI think that if I was back with my family and friends, then I would know all about war and it would have changed my thoughts of it.
Also I think that Alex would be greatfull about the things he has because he would know what kind of things that they have in China so he would probobly be greatfull with the things he has.
DeleteI think in the gap Alex means as in the difference of how everyone one he knows is rich and complains if they don't have the latest things, and how Xin-hua and the other students don't have mauch at all, and that they dont complain and they are thankful for what they have. I think that his perspective of the war and stuff know will be different becasue he has lived through it now and he now knows how painful and scary it really is. I know that if i was alex that would have changrd my life completely because I would look at the world differently then i had before.
ReplyDeleteIf I was Alex I would feel like a outsider because I would know about these people in china about this horrible thing going on with people get shot to deaf for a peaceful protest and no doing anything to stop it. I do not know how I could live with myself.
ReplyDeleteI think when I got back my life would change derastickly from even little things like using less hot water. As well asetting only when hungery and drink water before I eat to eat less. I think that Alex will change his prospective on war and how he thinks of it.
ReplyDeleteI believe the "gap" that Alex is referring to is how he has experienced a life changing event that will make him think differently about his life and what he has been taking for granted. The other kids may worry about things like the newest fashion trend or a video game but Alex will worry about more serious and important things.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Alex and I was coming home from China after witnessing the horrible event I would look at the world in a whole new way, even though I was not there I still am looking at the world in a new way, thinking of more "we" and less "me" helping other countries like the think we team.
Now finally Alex had a knack for the history of war, now that he has experienced one type of war, I think he will think way differently about war and how it is wrong and how it's just stupid, like the PLA fighting against it's own people, I think this tragic event has made him more aware of what really happens in a war, he realizes that innocent people die. I believe that Alex does not think this is right.
I think the "gap" Alex is thinking about is when the event that happened in China has been a experience as well as a huge change in his life. As the other kids in back home may be complaining that they don't have any latest items they think which is very important when they don't know what kind of tragedy is happening in China. When Alex sees how Xin-Hua and her friends are always thankful for what they have he will be thinking about people back home and comparing how innocent people die when they only try to get freedom when in Canada (back home) they get freedom of speech. Since Alex is going through all of this horrible events it will make him more of a person that won't be always about himself but thinking about others that died for freedom and peace. In one point when Alex leaves China he's going to feel great full and try to change the world around him by telling others that they should be thankful for what they have compared to China and other poor countries that don't afford as much. My last thought is that Alex could be very disappointed at the PLA because when Xin-Hua and her friends were taught at elementary school that the PLA were hero's not killing the countries own citizens, that's what I think. But before Lao Xu got killed he tried to yell something which I thought was you are saviours not killers you help save the country to the PLA.
ReplyDeleteI think the "gap" that Alex is referring to is the life changing event he has experienced and what he has taken for granted. Since Alex has experienced this tragedy he may be more aware of things that is happening around him, unlike his friends back home that may only care about the newest trends.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Alex and I was coming home from China after witnessing all the tragedy, I would be more aware and look at the world in a different perspective. Since he experienced the event, instead of hearing months later or may not even knowing about it, his life may have just been the same as before. But if he did hear about it on the news or something he would probably think, "Oh its not a big deal, I wasn't a part of it" and he may never think about it again.
I think that the gap Alex feels is not fitting in with all the other kids. He will be the only one who had experienced the massacre in Tian An Men Square and when he tells the story of what happened to him and Xin Hua nobody will believe him. It would change his life witnessing that event. It would probably change the way he thinks about war and war history and he would also probably hear imaginary screams and gunfire at night as he thinks about what happened to him. Much like in Eldest, the second book in he Eragon series, a little girl is cursed so she has to hear the screams of the sick and dying and save them by putting those people before her.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Alex I would have felt much different than the kids at school who worry about having the newest items and the latest fashion. I would feel the pain of the people dying in Beijjing and worry for those left on the street because there homes were destroyed. I would feel as if I had to return and give everything I had to the people of Beijjing without any food or a roof over their head. Nothing would be the same for me. Everyone would come first before me.
If I was Alex my life would be a whole lot different because I would learn to give not take, appreciate what I have and I'll know how lucky I am. Also I would be so happy to be back in my house but I would be woundering what is happening in China right now and how is all the students and my friends doing there.
ReplyDelete* I think what Alex means about the 'gap' is he will not fit in anymore after the dreadful experience in China. He will try to explain it to his friends and family mabey, but they wouldn't believe him. He will change his ways of history Wars and he might not only tell his friends and family, but mabey others that would understand the concept better in China. Alex wouldn't care about the new fashion trends but all he would care about is Tian An Men Square.
ReplyDelete* If I were Alex, I would notice right away that we get everything almost given to us, and in China, they have to fight for freedom, food, fresh water, and there lives are all on the line, I'd understand but others wouldn't know how the experience was, living there experiencing a war of the PLA and Citizens.
I think the gap Alex is referring to, is the life changing event that he has experienced in Beijing China. Since Alex has experienced that event it has changed his respective of how he lives in so many ways.Some things that are life changing to him is all of the trends and newest things that all of his friends have back home and comparing that to what all of the people have in Beijing china has changed him as a person.
ReplyDeleteIf i was Alex and I was coming home from Beijing China my feelings about all of the newest trends would change knowing about all of the devastating lose and tragedy that happened to people that just wanted to change there life for a better one. He would look at the world in a new and better respective than he use to, he would want to give everything he has to people that lost there lives in Beijing China.
I would feel sorry for the kids in Canada because they dont actually know what its like to have something bad like that happen to you. I would also tell them "Do you know what that is like compared to what happened in China".
ReplyDeleteIf I imagine myself as Alex I can see what he sees, and I can hear what he hears. I hear the rattling of AK 47s and I can see people dropping like flys as the bullets enter their bodies. Life back home would be so different now that I couldn't be able to describe the changes in myself and life in general. In China they don't have the right to speak freely, they don't get the whole story because the government does not want them to know what is going on in the outside world. It is like Canada not being able to use inernet on our cell phones. The inernet would be blocked except for a few "govermnet certified" websites. I think the gap that Alex was refering to was the fact that when we are in school we don't know what it is like to see some one shot in front of you. I think Alex will be alot more mature in ways that people in highschool and even working adults can't understand because they weren't there. I do believe that my life would change beacause I think that people would have a hard time believing me, I would be scared especially if I would have smugglede the tapes out, and I would have alot more respect for my loved ones and the people around me. I can't begin to comprehend what it would be like to live in China at that time and assure that I would have never had the guts to do what Alex is doing right now in the book.
ReplyDelete