Protagonist

Something like this has never happened to me personally but it has happened to a close friend . One of my moms very close friends was in a Very bad car crash when she was on the way back from work . It was a drunk driver that ran a red light . It hit her on the drivers side and She suffered from brain damage , a broken leg , and bruises and multiple cuts all over her body . She was in the hospital for about 1 month . Later on they discovered that the lady that hit her was attempting to kill herself because her husband had left her earlier that morning . When i was reading this novel that event came into my mind and brought back all those tragic memories .

Mood

I had many different emotions when i was reading this novel because there were a lot of different experiences . I was sad when Brent accidentally hit Lea with his car and it had caused her to die . I was happy when agreed to go on the journey Leas mom had asked him to do . To go across the United States and put up 4 whirligigs on the 4 corners of the United States . I don't think i could have done what Brent did . He was so brave and he wanted a new start and to try and make up for the giant mistake he had made . He was finally able to put it all behind him and to make a new start for himself .

Dynamic Character

In the beginning of the story brent was a very laid back , to himself kid of guy who stood in the shadows of everybody else and in a way was kinda nerdy . He had not really discovered who he really was . but towards the end of the story he became , i think a better person and found the caring , helpful person he always was all because of Lea . He did realize that trying to kill himself was a bad idea and it ended up doing more harm then he thought . But it was a mistake and he can not take it back but he can make up for the mistakes he has done .

Character

If i could choose one person in the story whirligig i would choose Lea . Why i would chose her is because how they describe her in the story is a fun , enjoyable girl , who was very smart and was involved in many extra curricular activities in school and outside of school . Unfortunately i would i have to lose a great friends because of this awful tragedy . But i would always know i had a great friend and she will always be with if she not actually physically there .

Conflict

Brent has got embarrassed by the girl he likes at a party and is humiliated in front of all his piers . So as he is drunk and attempts to take his life away , he hit a young girl Lea in his path . He has such regret and cant even bare for what he has done . So he could get everything that has happened in the past couple days off his mind he goes on the journey that Lea's mother has asked him to do . As he is on his journey he runs into some interesting people and goes through some un-usual situations . At the beginning of his journey , it almost seemed impossible to complete but after awhile he learns to enjoy it . after completing his task he learns that attempting to kill himself was not the answer to his problem . he realizes he still has lots of life to live and that it was just a rough patch in life that will slowly get over .

Setting

In the beginning of the novel the story takes place in Chicago but after he had hit young Lea in an attempt suicide his life tuns around . He aranges to meet with the mother of the young child and she asks something very big of him . She asks him to travel to the 4 corners of the unites states ( Washington , California , Florida , and Maine and make 4 whirligigs so people can see the joy that they brought to Lea . so now the setting is all the adventures and places he had gone . i think the setting is important because he agreed to travel all around the country because he wanted to keep this young girls spirit alive .

The Moral of the Story

Near the end of Whirligig, I realized the theme emerging. It may seem like a common saying, but an important one. Everyone makes mistakes! Brent Bishop took his embarrassment as a slap in the face, and a wake up call saying 'you don't need to live through this hysteria.' 


Hysteria: an uncontrollable outburst of emotion or fear.


Now, because of that voice, he thinks because of the mistake he made at this party, his life is no longer worth living. However, after the journey he realizes that because you make errors, it doesn't mean you're any less of a person. You must redeem yourself and know that you're human. Being human gives us the lovely permission to make mistakes, many, many mistakes.


Another theme I noticed in the book is that you should take time to remember those who have passed away, and try and support their family. The whirligigs placed by Brent helped people come together in surprising ways!

A New Beginning

While reading the end of Whirligig, I noticed that Brent made a significant change in personality and morals. He went from an upset, confused, and mad character to a strong and independent person. In the beginning of the story all Brent wanted to do was to be popular, and have Brianna under is arm. However, because of was occurred several nights ago (the tragic car accident), his perspective changed. Not right away, of course, but while he was creating and placing the whirligigs of Lea, and while trying to keep her spirit alive. This journey gave  Brent an idea of everything he has and everything he is as a person, and to apply it to his full advantage. Not only that, but the importance of bringing people together and helping others. This message he learnt was of great assistance to the friends and family of Lea, and to Brent.


While in Maine, Brent was magnetized towards town hall, and when he arrived, there was swing dancing. They needed one more couple on stage, and Brent was glad to accept.


"To his great amazement, he agreed." P.130


This shows that before his voyage, there was no chance of him accepting the offer. But now, after a long and tiring journey, he has changed, and found who he was.

Vocabulary

~1 Whirligig: Is a toy that spins around and is also another word for merry go round

~2gazebo: a small roofed place that has screens on all sides, used for outdoor entertaining and dining.

~3 tonic: a medicine that gives energy or strengthens

~4 accordion:a portable wind instrument having a large bellows for forcing air through small metalreeds, a keyboard for the right hand, and buttons forsounding single bass notes or chords for the left hand

~5 paralyzed: inability to act or move

~6 waltz: a ballroom dance, in which the dancers revolve in perpetual circles, taking one step to each beat.

~7 restitutions: reparation made by giving an equivalent for loss, damage, or injury caused

~8 commitment: a pledge or promise to another

~9 appeal: a request for aid, support, sympathy

~10 seclusion: retirement or solitude

~11 glimpsed: a very brief, passing look, sight

~12 plantation: the establishment of a colony or new settlement.

~13 traversed: to pass or move over, through or along

~14 kindelah: is a nickname in yiddish

~15 yiddish: a High German language with a mixture of vocabulary from Hebrew and the Slavic languages, written in Hebrew letters, and spoken mainly by Jews in eastern and central Europe and by Jewish emigrants from these regions and their descendants.

~ 16 dawned: the first appearance of daylight in the morning

~17 declared: announce officially

~18 overture: an opening or initiating move toward negotiations, an agreement

~19 fortunately: receiving good from uncertain or unexpected sources

~ 20 appendix: the short tube at the bottom of a balloon bag, by which the intake and release of buoyant gas is controlled.

Emotions I Felt

When reading the novel Whirligig I had many emotions because of the many experiences that Brent had and how Lea death was so tragic and sudden. All these type of things made me feel sad, mad,and also confused. This novel gave me a whole bunch of emotions and pictures and mini movies in my head. The author of this book wanted to teach a lesson to whoever reads this novel to think before you do anything.

When Lea died because of Brent's drunken rage I felt very sad and shocked that it happened soo sudden and i pictured the young girl's family mourning her and beautiful Lea in her coffin. As Brent travelled the United States and stopped in different countries i could immagine the beautiful views and all the kind people brent meets and i can feel the guilt brent did, i can feel the warm moist air thats feels good but is hard to breath.

I recommend this book to others because this is a book that gives you many emotions and there are many scenes that make you have mini movies or pictures.

Changes

In my novel the main character starts to slowly change. in the beginning Brent Bishop is obnoxious and didn't really care for others but after he had killed poor lea he started to change into a scared,self conscious person. When he visited the countries he started improving his attitude and become more bold when he would meet a person he would want to become more like them and set goals to make changes in his life.

Every different person,and place changed Brent but what mostly inspired him to change was making whirligigs. While building the fun toy Brent would feel a little happy making them because it would bring happiness to children , adults, and bring Lea's spirit alive. At the end Brent was changed he was a good person and talented and plans to fish school and have a good career and good life for himself and for Lea.

The Theme or message

The theme or the message of the novel Whirligig is that even if u get really embarrassed or enraged or even illegally drinking u should not go off and drive while u are not thinking and are frustrated and angry because something bad will happen just like it did in the book to Brent. Lea Zamora died because of Brent because of his rage of being embarrassed and made fun of by his other peers. Since he was not clearly thinking at that time brent had to face the consequences.

In the end he was a changed person that now enjoyed traveling and making whirligigs but he will always have the weight of killing and innocent person and thats the message the author is trying to send out think before you act.

Setting

In the book Whirligig The setting is in many places because the main character Brent has to travel to the four corners of the United States to build whirligigs for lea's mother who's daughter he has killed in a car crash while he was drunk and enraged. The first setting is in Brent's house where theres is loud music and he is trying to be patient while wait to go to a party and he is being obnoxious. The next setting is a party where the teens are illegally drinking and he gets embarrassed infront of almost the whole school and then get enraged and drives away. The third setting is a big courthouse which has a serious and even a bit scary and also the place where he is pronounced guilty for killing an innocent girl his age named Lea Zamora.

The settings for the four countries he visits are That most of them are hot and and have an excellent working environment. Most of the people who worked in the restaurants, hotels,and campsites Brent visited had very nice people and brent enjoyed them. some places were tropical and had very moist air while others not many though were cold.

There are many different settings in the novel but i chose these main ones because they describe the book so that other people get a taste of the book.

Picking A New Friend

If I had to pick a new friend out of the book i would choose is Emil a boy about one year older than Brent who is German that brent met on his long journey in the country of San Diego. I chose Emil because in the book he is very kind to brent and to others and is very smart he knows three languages and almost all the history of the United States and other places.

Emil like Brent was traveling to many places but not for the same reason Emil was traveling before he enters collage to study biology and later on become teacher because both of his parent are teachers and hope that he want to become one too. Before Emil left to continue his travels as he promised brent he left a book called "Two Years Bore The Mast" for brent for he can read and enjoy the book like he did. Emil wold be a good friend because he is kind,smart, and thoughtful that is why i chose him as a friend i would want.

Frame of Mind...

In the beginning section of Whirligig, while I was reading the part in which Brent gets himself into the car crash, I felt frustrated, and upset that he thought his life wasn't worth living any longer! He decided his life was a wreck, nothing was right, and things were destroyed because of Brianna, Miss. Popular. She yelled at him because he was trying to make conversation! I was always told that God doesn't throw anything at you that you can't handle, and everything that occurs in your life is all part of a plan. When I finished reading that section, I was shocked that no one told Brent anything similar! However, I do suppose people are raised, deprived of those reassurances.

In that section, there are pieces of literature that say:

"There's no need to go home, no need to go back to school on Monday. No need to go there ever again. There's no need to feel pain. You've already felt enough. No need to let them hurt you again. You have the power to stop the hurting. No need to be a pawn. They are the pawns, you are a king. You have the king's absolute power within you. You have absolute power over your own life. You have the power to end your life. Now."(P. 17-18)

These were voices, flowing through his veins like morphine. These voices shocked me and frustrated me. He shouldn't have to die! He's young, and has a lot to learn. Fortunately he survives, but ends anothers life.

The Conflict

Brent Bishop is a young man who's story anybody could learn lots from. In the novel Brent sets of on a voyage to help a family grieve, and redeem himself of what he did to Lea. But on this journey he learns lots more. Brennt learns about interesting subjects (stars, whirligigs, how to play the harmonica), He learns about other cultures and other lives, but most importantly he learns about himself and who he really is.

When learning about himself Brent becomes wizer, gets rid of his depression, and learns that he will always live with the guilt of what happened to Lea. The Brent also learns that he can live with it and do extrodinary things. An example of this is the whirligigs. When Brent was making them he put thought and emotion into them. The whirligig that marked him the most is in Maine with the person who marked in the most.

In Brents travles he meets people. The people that Brent meets help him find out more about himself than anyother person he knows. The person that marked him the most lives in Maine. Maine was Brents last stop and on journey but also the most meaningful. While there he made his favourit whirligig and also met an artist. This lady gained Brents trust in ways that soemone cant even begin to comprehend. Brent tells this women about the accident and everything alse about his life (excepte his name). In return she shares her wizdom with Brent and helps him fit together the last pieces of his broken puzzle.

At the very end of the book you realize that Brent really dose know who he is now. A quote from the book that really shows this is this: '' The guilt hadn't vanished overnight. Four whirligigs wouldn't accomplish that. He new it woul reside in him like the ashes of a fire, unconsumed''.
The quote really struck me because he opens up about his knowlege of what he has come to terms with and has accepted a lot. It shows how much Brent has matured but also that he understands that the guilt will always be there and it will become easier to live with everyday.

This is a story filled with very strong and mature emotions that will leave a new found knowlege on the reader like it did to me. Brent's story is one everyone can appretiate and learn from imensly. Brent made desicions and had to learn to live with them that will mark the next reader of this novel in a wonderful way like it did to me.

Friend or Foe?

While reading the middle section of Whirligig, I realized if I had to be friends with any character in the book, I'd personally choose to become close to Lea. Unfortunately, I would have lost a good friend, but I would've gotten to know her kind, honest, and loving soul. Everyone at the hospital where she worked adored her heart-warming spirit!

A statement made by Lea's mother really brought me to the realization that even though she's just a character in a book, she's more of a person than a lot of people I know.

"Everybody who saw her smiled."

That in itself is a huge compliment, I would've loved to have known Lea Zamora, and had her spread her joy to the people in my life.

Patterns

Patterns are something you come across with every day. There are different types of patterns. Some of them for sewwing, the pattern on youre shirt, and a daily pattern. This type of pattern could also be called a scheduale. While Brent visites the four corners of the united states he developes patterns for each place he is in. It always starts off with waking up and ends with going to sleep. But since Brent is always almost moving durring this journey of his, he has to learn to adapte and thats what he does. While he was in California he had his schedual down. It started with waking up, eating breakfast at whatever resturant available, working on the whirligig, eating and reading durring his break, going out for dinner (usually at a resturaunt called the Sand Bar), go back to the motel, take a shower, then he would go sit on the beach and parctise his harmonica and name the stars until he went to bed. In each state or town Brent visited he came up with a scheduale subconsiouly. Whether it be for familiarity or or for the sake of keeping time it seemed like it helped him adapte and even made him feel a little better knowing what he was to do next. At this time of his life it very difficult due to everything that has happened. Brent's life is unplaned and that makes him uncertain. But knowing what is ahead of him I realize makes him feel better. We all have a daily schedual or pattern that is necesary for us everyday but in Brents case it helps him alot more, and thats ok. For Brent having a schedual is a way of reasuring himself that there will always be a plan for him nomatter what happens and thats whats importante.

The Conflict

The conflict follows Brent thoughout the book and in a way will never leave him. The conflict is that Brent killed someone. It was not on perpus but it still happened regardless. Now Brent is working his best to help the family ferfill there wish (to build a whirligig at each corner of the USA), and he hopes to redeem himself of his crime at the same time. Building the whirligigs will not take that long but its the redeeming and forgiving of himself that will. He will live with the feeling of regret all the time. It may lessen with time but he will always feel a certain sympathy and turmoil inside of him. This conflict is greater than any conflict. Yes, having youre house caught on fire would be a problem but before anything self reasurance always comes first and brent might not posses that all the time due to the '' incedent''. Like I said, time will help but not completly and Brent is going to have to learn to live with that.