Newsworld

In class we had a guest Todd James Price the author of New World. In the reading done in class, Todd managed to tie together two really different but really American happenings, the terrorist attack of 9/11 and the theme parks.

In class we all shared our reactions as 13 year olds children finding out about the terrorist attack and not really understanding much about it. As an international student I believe I can’t relate as much to the impact of the attack but it defiantly also influenced my life, having my mother living in the United States at the time it also became a big event for me. It was interesting to hear about all the experiences from people that were actually near by it. One thing that we had in common it was the young curiosity of how it happened how it feels and what would happen now question, which is also what the characters in Price’s piece were feeling.

Theme parks have also interested me in a not so positive way I have also really despite the idea of theme parks the fake recreation of something else, and four years ago I founded myself deciding that I was going to go live in Florida, the land of the biggest theme parks. Having gone to a few theme parks by now, I still find something really terrifying about them, it’s like an attempt to live a reality that never happened or that it is far-gone. In class I got to found out even more things about theme parks, people that actually live in theme parks. In the story there is a theme park of a destroyed land, which I found an incredible idea creating more the terrifying aspects of theme parks.

When I red the story for the first time I found the kids desire to feel 9/11 in the theme park a little bit creepy, and to an extend disrespectful and even disturbing, to look at this really important event when many people lost their life in a “theme park matter”. But after reading the story again and talking with the author and the rest of the students, I see that this is a way of representing and getting to the American audience in which theme parks plays a huge role on childhood. It represents really well this curiosity that we all had in an everyday place, a theme park.

You: The Novel

You the novel by Austin Grossman is about a video game designer, the dangers that he faces to look for truth and personal challenges in the competitive world of game design involving dormer friends.

Personally I had never been exposed to computer games and much of the vocabulary was completely unknown to me, unlike many in our school I am game illiterate and so I got really lost in the reading of this book. Because of my lack of knowledge in the field I also didn’t get too enthusiastic or hooked about the book, especially in certain parts. This book talks about a reality which is relatable for many people but not to me.

Moreover the book is narrated in first person and lets the reader be inside of the character and in this way really involved.

Another aspect that I find interesting about this book is the exposure of the negative side of his former friends and the giddiness involved, it shows the competitiveness of the field and the unexpected roughness the design of a game, a new technology and entertainment.

There is also a personal journey in the main character mind, Russell’s encounters changes personality and how he fits in the world; it seems like Russell never fitted unlike his former friends that created the successful game until now. Suddenly, after his friends dies and Darren leaves the company, Russell comes in this really prestigious gaming company, and he finally found his balance in personality; unlike all what he had tried before, here he felt comfortable. But as he becomes really committed and he feels better about himself, he starts the search for the reason of the death of his friend, which leads him to see another side of the gaming industry, and puts his job in risk. This duality of his positive self-realization with the danger of the field and the dark side of it creates an interesting tension that kept me reading the book.