A Clack of Tiny Sparks: James, Peter, Tena, Jordan

[James Wall]

The author is trying to get his point across that he is attracted to
the same sex but it seems like he just cant find the courage to tell
anyone even though he knows its true. I think that he is in a point in
his life where he doesnt want to admit how he really feels because he
feels that he will be judged based on his new sexual preferance

[Peter Niro]

I agree with James. In the halls here at BHS, we hear people getting called names like "Fag," just like Theresa called Bernard in the story on the top of page 315. People get called that on a daily bases, and i dont think that it is right. They are even called it if they are not gay. 

[Peter Niro]

On page 316, he is trying to break the "habit" of yearning for boys and start yearning for girls. He said that every habit can be stopped. I have always heard that if you are gay, you are born that way. I don't know if that is true or not but no matter what anyone says, you should always be your self, and never change just because someone told you that you are not like them.  

[tena vernale]

@James Wall

I think that Bernard should be open about his sexuality. If people he knows doesn't accept it, then those aren't true friends. I have friends that are gay/lesbian, and my friends and I are completely fine with it.

[James Wall]

@Peter NIro

I think you are spot on with that summary because he is trying to
experiment with kissing girls but he cant stop glaring at grady the
entire party.

[tena vernale]

@James Wall

On page 315, when Theresa asked Bernard, "Are you a fag?" I was shocked. I couldn't believe how he must of felt. He was being put right on the spot, and he wasn't going to say yes because he didn't wanna embarrass himself. He was very embarrassed when he asked his mother what that word meant as well because of the look she gave him.

[Peter Niro]

On Page 316, when he asks his mother what "Fag" means, and she got
angry and asks him if anyone called him that, and he said no, but when
someone really did. I think that is any young persons reaction when a
parent says that in shock, but i think he should have told her that
someone did because she could have came up with another false meaning
of the word to make him feel better. The way she reacted was not good
because he knows that that means something bad, and it makes him feel
bad.

[James Wall]

I think that at the end, Bernard has finally realized that he wants to live his sexual life out with a man and he should have just done that since the beginning instead of trying to hide it. There are plenty of people, kids, teenagers, adults who are openly gay/lesbian and there is nothing wrong with that. The main reason people try to hide being gay/lesbian is that there will always be people who frown upon same sex relationships when its not hurting them in any way and does not affect there life. That is why bernard had such a hard time coming out with being gay.

[Jordan Zima]

@ Peter

Any kid reacts that way when their parents are in shock. I know I used to do it when I was little because i thought I'd get in trouble for it.

[Peter Niro]

@ James Wall

I like the fact that you used the facts that where in the story. I
agree with the fact that he will be judged on his sexual preferance. I
see it happen to people all the time.

On Sep 20, 8:10 am, James Wall <james.wall.berli...@gmail.com> wrote:

[James Wall]

Bernard was also left with an unanswered response with Theresa after she had asked him "If he was a fag." I think Bernard would have have more closure if he had just respnded by saying he was gay and then he could had gone on with his life no matter what mockery he would have received.

[Julie Marino]

I felt really bad when Theresa called him out on being gay and called him a "fag". I think it was somewhat out of nowhere and he wasn't expecting it. She caught him off guard and crossed a line of privacy. It's also clear at that point that he wasn't sure what to say. He didn't feel comfortable expressing how he really felt and he didn't want to be embarrassed. I felt bad because that was rude of her to do to him and if anyone had heard her he would've been even more uncomfortable.

[James Wall]

@ Tena

I agree with you. that was a very rude way of adressing bernards sexuallity and i think she contributed to him hiding behind his sexual preferance.

[Julie Marino]

One part that really stuck out to me while reading was when the narrator says "Instead I emulated Grady in the belief that being seen with him, being like him, would somehow vanquish my self doubt, would make me normal by association." I thought this was in a way disturbing. It is so sad that he thinks that being with someone will make him normal. I think about it and ask "what is normal"? I feel bad for him because he has obviously grown up in a society that doesn't approve of his natural way of life so he thinks he needs to be like someone to make him "normal".

[Julie Marino]

I think that fact that the narrator's parents don't seem to approve of his sexual orientation adds something to the reality of this story. I think this is an easy part to relate to and the average teen can connect to this even though we may not all struggle with his specific problem. Most normal teens have their own ways or beliefs that their parents may disagree with and part of the struggle is learning how to be yourself without crossing someone else. This is a very crucial part to the story because it shows you just how out of place the main character feels because he is hiding his feelings from his own family.

[Julie Marino]

@ James Wall

I would have to agree that I think the main character is hesitant about coming out with his sexual preference because he believes it will not be accepted and he thinks people will judge him for that. I think it's sad that he has to hide who he knows he is because of what others will think but I definitely do believe that he has trouble expressing it because of how the public eye will view him. 

[Julie Marino]

@ Tena Vernale

I agree with your statement about how he should be open with his sexuality. I think as hard as it probably is to begin with to say that you have a sexual preference that is not what majority of the people around you agree with, I still think once he got it off his chest I think he would feel a lot better about everything and he wouldn't be so scared to be himself all the time.

[Tena Vernale]

On page 317, the author said, "A dozen of my classmates were seated on the sofa or huddled together in corners, their whispers full of excited imminence, their bodies barely discernible in the dim light." I think that the author used great diction here because he used great synonyms and elegant words.

[Tena Vernale]

The author uses very long sentences for a type of syntax. On page 316, he wrote, " My longing was wrong in the eyes of my mother, whose hazel eyes were the eyes of the world, and if that longing continued unchecked, the unwieldy shape of my fate would be cast, and I'd be subjected to a lifetime of scorn." While using syntax, the author creates style to his work.

[Tena Vernale]

Something that stood out to me while reading this passage was that Bernard wanted to change himself because he didn't like how people looked at him. I think that is very sad because he should be who he is. People should worry about themselves, not what other people do. Bernard should feel confident in himself, like a lot of people are. On the other hand, a lot of people are insecure about themselves, and it's very sad to know that there are people out there like that.

[Jordan Zima]

On page 321 Bernard said "I have few regrets. But one is that I hadn't said to Theresa, 'Of course I'm a fag' ..." I think he is realizeing that he should be true to himself. And should have come clean when he haldn' told Theresa he was a fag.

[Jordan Zima]

@Tena

 

I agree people should be worried only about themselfs not what people think. People just make others insecure about themselfs. I know I used to care about what people thought about me and it made my life horrible. But I realized that it doesnt matter about what they think

[Jordan Zima]

I find it immature that they define a guy a fag or not by the way he looks at his nails. Its childish I mean its pathetic how they lable a guy on the way he looks at his finger nails.

[James Wall]

@Jordan

I have to agree with you because it does seem that all these kids are
making an acute judgement on how Bernard acts and don't even get to
know him. It really is a horrible thing that happens every day even in
high school.

[Jordan Zima]

I like the descritiveness on page 321 the second to last paragraph. Even though it creeps me out the author makes a nice comparison to a diver.

[Peter Niro]

@Jordan

I like the fact that u used a quote from the text

[Peter Niro]

@ julie

I know that i have been in a situation where my parents didn't agree
with somthing that i like or did, but not that specific problem.