British vs Americans or Socs vs Greasers

Authors Note: This essay is going to compare how two books (April Morning and The Outsiders) show similarities in the theme defining stereo types.

A universal theme is an idea that applies to anyone regardless of cultural differences, or location It could apply to anyone at anywhere during anytime. Some examples of themes are survival, loss of innocence, and defining stereotypes. In the historical fiction novel April Morning a boy named Adam has a decision to go into the Revolutionary War or not to go into the war. He decides to go into war with his father. When tragedy strikes, Adam doesn’t know what to do. There is a lot of stereotyping in this story. There is also stereotyping in the drama fiction The Outsiders there are two different groups, the greasers are a gang, they are the tough kids and the socs are the rich and proper kids. They stereotype each other a lot as well. April Morning has two different groups as well as The Outsiders, April Morning has two different countries and in The Outsiders they are two different types of gangs. The books April Morning and The Outsiders both have the theme of defining stereotypes, though they show very different plot lines and settings.

Everybody gets stereotyped if it's at the mall, by another basketball team, or maybe even for what clique you are in. In The Outsiders the greasers get stereotyped by the socs for being greasers and in April Morning the Americans get stereotyped by the British for being Americans. Other than the greasers and the Americans being stereotyped, the greasers and Americans stereotype the socs and the British as well. As I said before everybody gets stereotyped. The British stereotype the Americans on page 111, a British solder said "The Americans are tricky devils; the Americans are not to be trusted." What did we do to be tricky? We are defending ourselves from the British. Also in The Outsiders the greasers are normal people but the socs think that they are mean and not rich enough for them. We are all people! We all have the same right to be here as everybody else.

The books April Morning and The Outsiders are alike in more than just stereotyping, in both novels a main character dies from the rival. In the novel The Outsiders Bob dies from a greaser, the opposite group or rival. This is the same thing as what happens in April Morning, the main characters dad dies from a British solder or the opposite team. This is the same thing that happened in the historical fiction The Outsiders. These books are a lot alike in many ways.

As you can see these books are a lot alike, but these books are different too. In the historical fiction April Morning the time period is in the 1700’s and in The Outsiders the time period is in the 1900’s. Not just is the time period different but because the years are way different that means that the way people talk is different and the technology is way different! A second way that these books are different is they explain two different wars. The war between the socs and the greasers in The Outsiders isn’t really a real war, it's a rivalry. But the Revolutionary War that is in April Morning is a real war. It is not just two groups not liking each other, it is a big ordeal that actual happened and went down in history. These books can be alike but they are also very different.

In conclusion the two books are similar and different in many ways. The novel The Outsiders is about a war between two ”gang” groups that was small and didn’t really go down in history. But the Revolutionary War really did happen. It was a war against two countries. The books April Morning and The Outsiders are similar in a couple ways, one way is they both have a main theme of defining stereotypes, but they are also very different. Which book would you rather be in, a real war or a war between two gangs?

Me Personally...

Right now I am reading Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel. It is about a girl named Winter, who had one great friend and they planned on becoming more popular in school. Winter's friend Sloane made it big with the popular girls and left Winter behind, alone with no one. I personally would absolutely hate this! I have great friends right now and I don't know what I would do without them. Winter left and visited her dad for a week in New York to get away from everything. She met a boy there named Easton they had a thing but then when she left everything went away. Finally Winter made a friend with the new boy at school. They became great friends, but once she started crushing on him a new girl came into the picture. After a little while Easton came back into the picture. This is where I ended. I am really enjoying this book and I can't wait to finish it!

Stay Smart Adam!

Author's Notes: This essay is about April Morning and how the cause and effects, effects the story during the climax.

Dear Adam,

I am reading your story in Social Studies and I am so intrigued that you would risk your life to fight against the British. I do not know if I have that much courage to fight like you do. I could not leave my family, friends or home to fight for my country. My name is Madison Giordano and I you should think more about your decision on going into the war.

You are ever so brave for entering the war. Going to war is defiantly the most important part in your story! Your story has changed my life; I think it is so cool that you could have that much courage to fight for your city and country being a teenager. If my older brother went into the war I would be devastated. My brother is a role model, a mentor, and a best friend to me. I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to him. You remind me a lot of my brother; you are brave and will do anything for your family. You are so courageous. I just want you to be careful during the war!

Even though you are brave for going into war you need to think before you make the final decision to go into war. I understand that you want to go to war. I understand that it would look good for Ruth and it would be fun, but you need to think about what is right for your family! You Ma needs you at home, to take care of your little brother when she isn't home. What if something happened to your dad or you? You need to stand up to be the head of the household. Your family needs you at home. I don't think you should go to war with your father. It is more dangerous than it is smart! As I said your family needs you more now than ever, with your dad going to war. Your mom needs you to watch over Levi and Granny if she has to do anything outside of home. Please do what is right and do not go into war.

As I conclude I think you should think before you act. I want you to be very careful in making choices. I do not want anything to happen to you, don't go into the war! If you end up not taking my advice, I wish that you watch your every move and look after your dad! Don't let your dad out of your sight. My name is Madison Giordano and I want you to make the choice that you think is right. Please don’t go into the war. All I ask is for you to think about all of your decisions.

Stay smart,

Madison Giordano

What If?

In April Morning by Howard Fast a young boy named Adam is struggling to get along with his dad and he is trying to make up his mind to go into the war or not. The book April Morning is in Adam Cooper's point of view, but if the story was in Levi, Adam’s little brother's point of view the story would be very much so different. The story April Morning would be better if the story was written in Levi’s point of view.

Even though April Morning is in the point of view of Adam, it would be better in the perspective of Levi. Levi has more emotion than Adam because Levi would have to live alone with and be an only child if anything happened to Adam. I know it’s Adam’s life that its depending upon but Levi’s whole life would change significantly too. Levi’s life would change by not having a brother anymore, worried he’s going to lose someone he loves, and being alone and worried about his brother 24/7. That would be more interesting to read about then about how he is doing in the war. One example would be when Adam was at the well. Wouldn't it of been interesting if it was in Levi's point of view. Howard Fast could have written I was walking in my yard toward the well having a great time. Then I see my brother at the well and he is mouthing words to himself. Then I remembered a couple months ago Adam got yelled at for saying a spell while pumping water out of the well. Well let me go talk to him, I’m thirsty anyway. I can use me seeing him saying that spell again against him for me to get a drink. And so on and so on.

From a different perspective people might think something totally different. Just like in the book Kiss and Blog by Alyson Noel, Winter is a geek at her school but is trying to become popular but maybe her best friend Rey thinks she is really cool. This story would be different in Levi’s perspective because people would see what the point of view would be of a sibling of somebody going to war. I believe I would like the book more if Levi was telling the story because I could relate to it better. I also think other people would like it better because other people can relate to a sibling leaving to go to war; than they could relate to themselves going to the war. Not just would it be different because more people could relate to it, instead of reading about an annoying little brother you could read about a heroic big brother who changes his little brothers life. In the book Levi said “A redcoat soldier” saying what he can hit with a rifle. And we get the perspective that Adam thinks Levi is a little kid that doesn’t know much, but in Levi’s mind he might be trying to prove to Adam that he knows more than he thinks he does. Back in this time period if you talked about red coats it was like swearing now. As you can see the Story would be different but more interesting in the point of view of Levi instead of Adam.

How would you feel if your brother went out to war? I know I would be very devastated. To me my brother is a role model, a mentor and a best friend. Even though April Morning is in the perspective of Adam, the story would be better in the perspective of Levi. In Adam’s point of view Levi is a annoying nuisance and in Levi’s perspective Adam is a role model who he loves more than anything and happy that he is his older brother. If Levi was telling the story it would have more emotion and let people relate to it better. People really don’t know how people would feel if they went to the war, but they do know how they would feel if a sibling went to war. This story is good even though in my mind it would be better in the point of view of Levi rather than Adam.