Dealing with Change

2/22/12

Nick Majeskie

Author’s Note: This is an essay on why dealing with change is a theme.

"There were many things happening at Yancy Academy that day, traffic jams, the sounds of car horns, and the smell of gasoline burning from many New Yorkers cars. This was an average day for me and my boring life, oh yeah I was attacked by my math teacher who suddenly could grow talons and bat wings" (Fury). This could have been what Percy was thinking on the bus ride home to his apartment. The last sentence shows how dealing with change is a theme in Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief.

One character in the book is Percy Jackson and his life is involved with the theme dealing with change. His dad is Poseidon, and he has to deal with this change in a huge way. Since his dad is Poseidon, monsters are always searching for him and wanting to kill him. He deals with this change by going to Camp Half-Blood, Camp Half-Blood is a place where monsters can't go unless summoned. Another reason dealing with change is a theme is when Percy finds out Poseidon is his dad. When he finds out he has to be moved to a different cabin by himself and is treated like he is the most powerful person alive. Percy deals with this by just sticking with his friends at the Hermes cabin. Since he has to deal with this change he will never have a normal life.

A conflict in the book is that the Zeus's master bolt was stolen and Zeus was accusing Percy of taking it. As well as the master bolt stolen, the dark helm was stolen. Percy went from having a normal life to a kid that is wanted died by two of the three most powerful gods. He dealt with all this with anger; his driving power is that Hades took his mother away from him that is why he never became scared like a normal kid would. Another conflict is how he is supposed to get to the underworld. Percy deals with this change by going with his friends to the underworld, and takes a train from New York to Los Angeles.

This theme is just not in one book it is in the next book in the series, Sea of Monsters. It deals with a lot of change; the Golden Fleece that protects Camp Half-Blood gets stolen. Percy and Annabeth go after it and since nowhere is safe they are constantly fighting monsters. Percy gets turned into a hamster, so he has to deal with his new surrounding which makes his life a lot harder. As well as that all of his favorite camp directors get fired because they are accused of stealing the Golden Fleece. He deals with this by going out and trying to find the Golden Fleece and get his camp directors jobs back.

As you can see this is a reoccurring theme in the book The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters. Percy deals with change, his dad is Poseidon and monsters chase after him wanting to kill him. So he goes to Camp Half-Blood where monsters can’t come in unless they are summoned. That shows how dealing with change is a theme in the book.

The letter of Truth

Dear Punk (Percy),

You have mysteriously disappeared. I don't know where you have gone but, I have my ideas. I'm writing this letter just to tell you NEVER COME BACK!!! I will enjoy my seven layer dip with my buddies from work and just them THANK YOU!!! Also thanks to you punk I have no car to drive to work in. I got fired because of it. There are so many reasons I will never let you live here again.

First and most importantly you completely destroyed my car and I don't have enough money to buy a new one. Next on this never ending list, you also took your mother with you now I don't have a maid to pick all the trash from our poker game. Also since your mother isn't around to make me and the guys food none of them want to come back and play poker any more they also said it was to messy to play.

Finally, I hope you consider this letter and never come back. You shouldn't come back because you broke my car and you don't want to see what I did to the last guy that broke my car. He was in the hospital for three weeks with two broken legs and a broken arm. So NEVER ever, ever, ever COME BACK!!!

From,

Gabe

Character in The Lighting Thief

A character in the book The Lightning Thief is Percy Jackson. He believes that he has a real father but, he went out to sea and never came back. He lives with his mother and fat step-father in New York. His step-father is an alcoholic and has gambling issues. I think his attitude is very poor because he is fed up with his step dad and is frustrated on how he treats is mother. Also he has ADHD which helps when he is fighting and he is also dyslexic and that helps him understand Greek. His impact is that he is a half-blood and he is one of the most powerful half-bloods. Frequently he has been able to control water with out knowing it. It impacts the whole story because he is Poseidon son and has the powers to control water but, he doesn't know that yet.

Advantages of Hydroelectric Power

Nick Majeskie

1/5/12

Author’s Note: This short essay is about why we should use hydroelectric power as the U.S prime energy source.

There are many power sources we use in the U.S today. Some examples are coal, natural gases, and nuclear. Those are well used resources in the U.S. I don’t believe it is the best choice to use those sources because they have very harmful effects. They aren’t the best sources. The best source to use is hydroelectric.

There are a lot of advantages in using hydroelectric power. One example is it has an unlimited supply of energy. There is no fear of eventually running out, unlike coal and uranium. Another advantage is it doesn’t hurt the environment as bad the other sources. It does hurt fresh water aquatic life but, the only aquatic animals we normal eat or use are salt water animals such as lobster and shrimp. Also it doesn’t pollute after you use it. In addition, it helps the fight against climate change. Also it improves the air we breathe in everyday, it has more than one use.

There are ways more disadvantages in the resources we use now. An example is nuclear power. Nuclear power creates nuclear waste and radiation and radiation causes cancer. Why would we use something that causes cancer and the cancer kill thousands of people each year? Also it is very unstable you have to use it in a high maintain lab which could cost all kinds of money. As well as that, if an accident in that lab could be disastrous. Look what happened to Japan in the recent year. Another resource is coal it has a lot of disadvantages. One disadvantage is it adds to global warming. Also it is hard to transport.

I concluded that hydroelectric power has a lot of advantages of using. Also I don’t think you want to use a resource that had way more disadvantages than advantages such as nuclear power. Yes hydroelectric power had disadvantages too but, theirs are minor and don’t cause a huge effect. Those are reasons why hydroelectric power is the best energy source out there.