Week 4, Post A

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Vocab

1.) Martyrs (133): One who chooses to suffer death rather than renounce religious principles.
2.) Aphrodisiac (223): Something, such as a drug or food, having such an effect.

Figurative Language

1.) Metaphor. "He left them holding the truth between them, a stone that got heavier with every passing moment"(191). This is a metaphor, because it's comparing the truth with a stone and how it left space between them.
2.) Similie. "He turned to her, beaming, and Josie felt everyone's eyes on her - a hail of arrows. She curled over her desk like a midnight rose, letting her hair fall over her face"(211).
3.) Imagery. "The flames dances in front of his face, the heat distorted his features"(215).

Quote

"Had Peter's anger been born of jealousy or loneliness? Or was his massacre a way to turn attention to himself, finally instead of Joey?"(185).
At this point in the novel, Peter's lawyer Jordan was trying to figure out the reason for why he caused such a mess. Peter's brother was a straight-a student, captain to the hockey team, and Peter felt he needed to measure up to him. His parents were always so proud of his brother, but they never seemed to show as much appreciation for Peter. Imagine if you were his parents and realized that his massacre was because of this. He just wanted the attention from his parents like another kid his age, and it was difficult for his to get that because Joey was haugging it.

Theme

I think that the theme so far is how people influence you. Peter was influenced by his parents and brother in a way that cause him to do harm. Josie is influenced by her popular group of friends to stay in the status quo, and not associate herself with anyone lower.