Russian Roulette (Text)
Russian Roulette is a book that is written by Anthony Horowitz and is set as a prequel to a book series that I also enjoy Alex Rider. The original book series focuses on Alex Rider, a teenage spy, and there is a common antagonist, in the Russian assassin Yassen Gregorovitch, who is the main protagonist of Russian Roulette. I personally found this book very good, because it provides the reader with a new insight to a character, that up until now has been portrayed only as a ‘villain’. My favourite part of the text was the story and transformation that it told. Yassen starts the book as a young teenager, not overly athletic, or smart, and ends it as a ruthless assassin that has killed all over the world. The reason that this is my favourite part is that it is almost the underdog story, and this resonates with me because that is a bit what I am like. My favourite part of the text was the final chapter when a scene that I have already seen played out in a previous Alex Rider book, was shown again, but with the thoughts and actions of Yassen, who is originally shown to be against Alex in the first time I see this scene, it is shown that he is actually trying to help Alex, and going against his direct orders in order to do what he knows is right.
Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (Text)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final instalment of the Harry Potter book series, written by J.K Rowling. Although Harry Potter is often considered to be a children’s book this final book continues and elaborates on the theme that slowly grows throughout the series which was the theme of overcoming darkness. I really enjoyed the new dynamic that was formed with the 3 main characters, with the changing from being schoolchildren to being on the run from the dark lord, who has control over the wizarding community. There is a lot of the conflict between the trio, as they grapple with their new lifestyle, and one of them gets into an argument and leaves for a few weeks. This is a very important part of the text because up until now there had been very little conflict between them, and it is a show of how much they have changed based on their experiences and how they are slowly being driven apart. I really liked the magical realism aspect of this text because although the text is set in a magical world it is made to be really believable, by how it is written and the real world themes that are used, with the author integrates into the text perfectly. One of the key themes is corruption, the wizarding government is being controlled by a leader that is a puppet to Lord Voldemort, and everyone complies with the new world that has been presented to them, which is very similar to real-life events when the leaders agendas are not for the good of whoever they are leading, but they have secured their power for a set number of years and the public has no choice in the matter. This leadership is a key part of the story because it enables the main villain Voldemort to have control over the wizarding community and its assets, without having to publicly be the leader.
Eragon (Text)
In “Eragon” a book by Christopher Paolini, the main character Eragon begins the story as a humble farmer and ends it as a Dragon Rider, one of the most powerful beings in Alagaësia, where the book is set. At the beginning of the text, Eragon is living with his uncle and cousin but still stands out amongst his peers. He is the only one will to brave the mountains that have claimed so many lives referred to as “The Spine” It is in The Spine where he finds the dragon egg that turned his world upside down. Before he leaves to help join the fight he is only a hunter, wasting his true potential because he knows nothing else, his only worry is trying to feed his family. He has no knowledge of magic, of dragons, or of his destiny, only caring about simple things in his life “Eragon slowly crept closer, keeping the bow ready. All his work of the past three days had led to this moment.” This teaches the reader many things about Eragon, it teaches us that he was willing to give up a lot of time to achieve his goals, even if they are very difficult. The author uses the concept of change to get his message across. I personally related to this text because the main character is a young boy that is the same age as me, and although he is also very different both in his lifestyle and physical attributes I think that his character has been very well written and as he develops as a person and can see more of myself in him. As he develops his newfound powers, he also changes who he is a person, and most of this learning is discovered by himself. This is a good representation of the real world, even though many teenagers are in school and have teachers that help them learn things that are crucial to them, many of the life lessons that they discover are found by themselves, and by making mistakes, and then learning from them.
The Black Book of Secrets (Text)
In the book, The Black Book of Secrets, by F.E Higgins, the main character escapes his parents and the horrible ‘City’, and escapes on top of a carriage to a remote village, that he soon discovers has its own inner conflict, between the residents and the wealthy man, Ratchet, who controls most of the wealth in the town. Ludlow is employed by a new pawnbroker, who buys secrets, this is how Ludlow begins to discover the town’s secrets. Magical realism was very loosely used in this text, it is set in what can only be described as sometime around the 1800s, and the magical realism that was used is the book of secrets, whenever the bookkeeper Joe arrives at a new town, and lets the townspeople get their secrets off their chests good things start to happen, in the case of this text, Jerimiah Ratchet slowly begins to crumble as the townspeople, who are now freed of guilt about things that they have done, are able to unite and stand up against him. This is a good message to a lot of readers, because a lot of people bottle up their emotions and this makes them very unstable, and they may begin to have some dark thoughts, this makes me start to think that the world having something or someone that people can share their deepest and darkest secrets with would be good, because it would allow them to rid things that are holding them back. This text is also a good representation of how unjust and unfair the world can be, Jerimiah Ratchet, who got his wealth by doing nothing, is able to control an entire town, and no one is able to step up to him because they are scared of the consequences, to simplify it Ratchet is a bully, and the easiest way to stop a bully is to stand up to them, and when the townspeople began to do this their fortunes began to change for the better.
Thor: Ragnorok (Film)
The movie Thor Ragnarok, directed by Taika Watiti, is a marvel film that focuses on Thor, the god of thunder, this film is very different to most marvel films, and it has led the film franchise turning in a new direction. Thor is one of the most popular Marvel characters because of this film and for good reason. Very early on in the fim he loses his weapon and is banished to a planet far from his home. He is forced to rethink who he really is throughout the movie before finally rediscovering himself at the end. The recurring theme in this movie was change. Up until now, Thor was a stock standard god that defended Asgard, but when he finds himself on an alien planet used for entertainment and is unable to save his home, Asgard, he learns that he can change, with the help of some unlikely allies. At the end of the movie, during a fight when he is almost died trying to save Asgard, he has a vision from his father, when he learns that his hammer, which he previously thought gave him his powers, only helped to channel them, and he also learnt that the only way to save his home was to let it be destroyed, because as long as the people are left that Asgard would still exist, wherever that may be. This scene provides an insight into the real world because a lot of people are scared of taking a jump in doing things, things such as moving town or getting a new job. When they do these things they learn that the things that heve previously made them who they are do not define them, they only halped shaped them and they can be changed, and tis change often improves them signifigantly, such as in the case of Thor. It also gives the message of communities, and bonds, although the area that asgard once stood on was destroyed, the people were what made it what it was, and they will be able to relocate, wherever that may be. This is also true for many real-life places, such as a community being relocated because of urbanisation or things like that, but when they move to the new location, with the same people it can often be a benefit because it opens up new pathways and opportunities
Star Wars: Revenge of The Sith (film)
In the film, Star Wars, Revenge of the sith, magical realism is used to show how even the most powerful people can be undermined by brainpower. This is done by the use of the main protagonist, Darth Sidious, who is posing as the chancellor of the republic, as part of a plan that has taken up about 20 years. He is trying to bring down the Jedi, the current power of the galaxy that Star Wars is set in. He uses his powers to mask himself from the Jedi, and the moves that he makes as chancellor are slowly trying to undermine them. While doing this, he is also getting into the head of the chosen one, Anakin Skywalker, and trying to convert him, when Sidious is found, he gives Anakin a choice, kill him, or join him to have the power to save his wife, Padme. Anakin chooses to join the sith lord and seals his own fate. This movie shows the viewer that even the mighty can fall, and how anybody can have their perspectives changed if the correct leverage is used. It also says how the people that are in power often get comfortable and do not stop to think that there are people that are trying to bring them down. It also paints a picture of deceit and corruption, there is no way that a sith lord could have infiltrated the Jedi and the republic without them discovering, yet Sidious put a plan into place that allowed him to do this. Although he is portrayed to be the villain, in the end he is successful, and many viewers cannot help but admire that.