Journal 3
Alive in the Killing Fields
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Setting
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Reader Response Questions
Using the third section of your novel, go back and skim read to map out what happens in this section. You might choose to construct a timeline or create a list. Write about how the author put the chapter together. How does the author move the story forward?
For timeline/ plot refer to plot in information provided above
The author put all the information for this part of the book together by time. The book is written from someone’s experience in Cambodia, it’s written in order from when the Gang started killing people to when it ends. The author showed how gradually the situation for Mop’s family got worse. The killing started lightly and then eventually they killed thousands and enslaved many. I feel like by the end of the book the killing will slow down and stop altogether.
Find several interesting sentences and paste them into your response. Explain what makes them interesting to you. This is an author’s craft question, so I am looking for observations you can make about a writer’s choices in this section that you find interesting.
What do you notice about word choice, voice, sensory details, tone, and pace? Provide examples from the text.
I have noticed in this novel the author has put easy to use words nothing too difficult to comprehend. In my opinion I think that the novel is fairly easy to read because it is told through the eyes of a young boy going through an extremely difficult time in his life. The author uses intimidating language to try to show the danger of the setting and situation Mop and his family are in. “They snorted and howled as they gobbled up the human flesh”. This is said when Mop hears animals eating the dead, starved, buried humans in the graveyard. It is a dark description for something that a young boy is describing he witnessed, helps you to understand how horrible of a time this was for Mop. I also noticed that time is passing fairly quickly in this book, they have been trapped for months and even changed locations and I feel as though something good that will fix their situation is coming. Maybe the Vietnamese will help the Cambodians or maybe they will make their situation even worse…
Make observations about punctuation today. Does your author favor short or long sentences? Discuss the effectiveness of this choice.
The author often used short precise sentences to describe how Mop is feeling. It’s a very easy to read book. The only time there are very long sentences in chapters is when Mop is placed in a new setting and is describing his location or he is just overall describing something he sees, touches, tastes, etc. Overall because of the short sentences and detailed descriptions of his location and situation it is easy to know what is going on. So far into this novel I have not gotten lost and needed to reread sections to understand the plot. The author has made it very easy to understand the story Mop is telling and makes you understand his emotions and feelings very well making you feel more connected to the character, pitying his situation.
Take one section of dialogue from your reading today. Analyze what is said (what you learn about plot or character) and then what is NOT said. What are these characters withholding?
“And then I got an infection. I was sick with a fever. One of my testicles swelled up so large I could not put my pants on. I had seen that happen to other people. They all died.” “I think we’re losing mop.” “The person in the bed to my left died. The person in the bed to my right died.” In this section of the novel we find out that Mop has been stealing rice chaff and eating it when it was inedible and it had given him a life threatening and very dangerous infection. I found that this section showed how brave Mop was as he never talked about fearing death in his deadly state. Instead of worrying about himself he worried about his family and food. Instead of wishing himself well he wish the other around him well. This section also showed how brave he was after both his hospital neighbors died he still kept faith and lived to work once again in the rice fields.
Style is tricky… sometimes we love the way a writer writes and sometimes we get irritated by too many narrators or moments when we lose our way. How was the reading of this book for you? Explain what you loved/grew frustrated with/etc. What would you say to the author (if you could) about how this was written?
I am really enjoying this book. I love the way the author stays true to her character and still manages to write out of the eyes of a young boy. I like the way she describes is great detail, locations and situations making it easy to me to imagine it in my mind. The detail she puts into her story makes it easy for you to get very attached to each individual character helping you to overall enjoy the book a lot more.
For timeline/ plot refer to plot in information provided above
The author put all the information for this part of the book together by time. The book is written from someone’s experience in Cambodia, it’s written in order from when the Gang started killing people to when it ends. The author showed how gradually the situation for Mop’s family got worse. The killing started lightly and then eventually they killed thousands and enslaved many. I feel like by the end of the book the killing will slow down and stop altogether.
Find several interesting sentences and paste them into your response. Explain what makes them interesting to you. This is an author’s craft question, so I am looking for observations you can make about a writer’s choices in this section that you find interesting.
- “These were treasures. My brothers and I each ate one, as slowly as we possibly could.”
- “Theres an old story that Lapwings, those tall wading birds have a special way of sleeping… They lie on their backs and stick their legs straight up… People say their legs hold up the sky all night long.”
- “I tore off a huge, engorged leech that clung to my leg.”
What do you notice about word choice, voice, sensory details, tone, and pace? Provide examples from the text.
I have noticed in this novel the author has put easy to use words nothing too difficult to comprehend. In my opinion I think that the novel is fairly easy to read because it is told through the eyes of a young boy going through an extremely difficult time in his life. The author uses intimidating language to try to show the danger of the setting and situation Mop and his family are in. “They snorted and howled as they gobbled up the human flesh”. This is said when Mop hears animals eating the dead, starved, buried humans in the graveyard. It is a dark description for something that a young boy is describing he witnessed, helps you to understand how horrible of a time this was for Mop. I also noticed that time is passing fairly quickly in this book, they have been trapped for months and even changed locations and I feel as though something good that will fix their situation is coming. Maybe the Vietnamese will help the Cambodians or maybe they will make their situation even worse…
Make observations about punctuation today. Does your author favor short or long sentences? Discuss the effectiveness of this choice.
The author often used short precise sentences to describe how Mop is feeling. It’s a very easy to read book. The only time there are very long sentences in chapters is when Mop is placed in a new setting and is describing his location or he is just overall describing something he sees, touches, tastes, etc. Overall because of the short sentences and detailed descriptions of his location and situation it is easy to know what is going on. So far into this novel I have not gotten lost and needed to reread sections to understand the plot. The author has made it very easy to understand the story Mop is telling and makes you understand his emotions and feelings very well making you feel more connected to the character, pitying his situation.
Take one section of dialogue from your reading today. Analyze what is said (what you learn about plot or character) and then what is NOT said. What are these characters withholding?
“And then I got an infection. I was sick with a fever. One of my testicles swelled up so large I could not put my pants on. I had seen that happen to other people. They all died.” “I think we’re losing mop.” “The person in the bed to my left died. The person in the bed to my right died.” In this section of the novel we find out that Mop has been stealing rice chaff and eating it when it was inedible and it had given him a life threatening and very dangerous infection. I found that this section showed how brave Mop was as he never talked about fearing death in his deadly state. Instead of worrying about himself he worried about his family and food. Instead of wishing himself well he wish the other around him well. This section also showed how brave he was after both his hospital neighbors died he still kept faith and lived to work once again in the rice fields.
Style is tricky… sometimes we love the way a writer writes and sometimes we get irritated by too many narrators or moments when we lose our way. How was the reading of this book for you? Explain what you loved/grew frustrated with/etc. What would you say to the author (if you could) about how this was written?
I am really enjoying this book. I love the way the author stays true to her character and still manages to write out of the eyes of a young boy. I like the way she describes is great detail, locations and situations making it easy to me to imagine it in my mind. The detail she puts into her story makes it easy for you to get very attached to each individual character helping you to overall enjoy the book a lot more.