Please answer the following questions in the comments section below this post. Deadline: Before class starts on Friday 18 March (8:15 am).
1. Why do you think Ursula is avoiding Matt at school after he has been released?
2. What do you think about the way Matt's friends react to the situation and what would you have done if you had been a friend of Matt's?
3. Find a quote (a sentence or 2-3 sentences) on page 57-96 that you find interesting and important to the story. Type the quote that you have chosen and explain why you picked it.
Keyvan
ReplyDelete1.
Answer: I think that Ursula is in love in Matt and that she gets embarrassed when he is around her. Another reason could be that she doesn´t want to let someone into her life, go back to normal.
2.
Answer: Intolerant, Matt´s friends are supposed to have his back in these situations, especially when they all heard the sarcasm in his statement.
I would testify against it if I had heard the whole conversation, no doubt. My strong reaction to this question is because I am raised with another culture when it comes to this.
3.
Answer: I liked what Ursula Riggs told Eveann´s mum. ''We have to bear witness for one another, Mrs McDowd. That´s our Christian duty''. It´s important to the story because it shows that even the cold Ursula Riggs cares about the destiny of an almost random person. I liked it because it tells us that even if it´s risky business to get involved in these type of things you have to do it not just for the person who is accused but for yourself because if this innocent person was pleaded guilty you would have to live with it.
1. 1. I think she is avoiding him because already from the start when she offered her help she was careful to tell him that she would have done it for anyone and that she did that just for the sake of justice. The main reason she helped him from the start was not to be his friends afterwards, I think she offered him help because when she lost the free throw when she played basketball game everyone thought she did it in purpose. So she knew how it felt when nobody believes you. Somehow I get a feeling that she is ashamed about Matt because she avoids him and don’t want to talk to him in front of her friends. Or maybe is just that she is insecure around him.
ReplyDelete2. 2. I think that his friend’s reaction simply clarifies that they are not real friends. At the beginning they seemed to be good friends and just because Matt gets into trouble the kind of leave him alone and won’t talk to him anymore. They failed him even though they were sitting and joke about the attack together. If I were as good friends with Matt as he seemed to be with the guys I would easily set up and try to protect him and I would have done anything to show him that he got my support and he didn’t have to feel alone, that we are in this together. I hope that after Matt got their emails he realized that they are no good friend to have left because a friend stands up for each other.
3. I have chosen the quote; “ hey guys where are you hiding. You can all come out. All clear.” (page 59) This is what Matt wrote to the guys after being released. I think it has an important purpose because when he didn’t get a e-mail back for a few days he should notice that something is wrong. I think this sentence is a big turnaround in the book and after he had sent off e-mails to the guys with no success, you notice that he has no friends left and you also get a feeling that he feels lonely.
/ Beesartaa
Two comments already :)
ReplyDelete1. Ursula tries so hard to keep up the picture of her self, as the girl who doesn't let anybody come near her. She tells herself that she doesn't care about Matt,that she just helped him because it was the right thing to do. She was very clear to Matt that she would have done it to anybody. But I don't believe her. I think that she likes Matt, but doesn't want to admit it, to herself or Matt.
ReplyDelete2. It's hard to know how I would react in this situation. It's a tricky situation.
I would like to say as a friend of Matt's, it's obvious that I would have his back.
But I also understand how the friends think. They're worried about their involving affects the future.
3. I liked the quote on page 76 in Ursula's mail to Matt: ''FINGERS CROSSED FOR JUSTICE''.
It's interesting because she's just writing it as an excuse of why she helped him. I think it's ridiculous.
/ Marielle
1. Already from the start she was very clear about the fact that she would have done it for anyone. I think she told Matt that because she is afraid to get someone too close to her. Thats why Ursula is avoiding Matt. She wants everything to be like it´s use to be, when she is just ” ugly girl”. She only did this for him because she belives in justice.
ReplyDeleteAnd since all stories usually ends the same way, I also believe that she avoids him because she likes him but refuses to admit it to herself.
2. . I think that Matts friends are cowards who not dare to stand up for theirs friend. Those who know him best should defend him and help him, when no one else does. I think they are wimps who withdraw.
If I were a friend of matt, I would definitely be on his side. I would have done anything to protect him, especially if I was one of those who actually was there with him and joked about the bomb.
3. I have not only chosen one sentence, I´ve chosen a few small pieces. I have chosen the e-mails that Matts “friends” wrote to him, on page 79-80. I think that is important to the story because that really shows us that Matts “friends” has choosen to not take his side in this. It shows us that they are going to stay out of this, and await until it's over.
/Nina
1.She doesn´t really realise it, but i think shes getting in love with him. Or maybe it is awkward for her being friends with Matt, its hard to say becouse you get the feeling that she wants no contact with him but at the same time she becomes very uncomfortable, gets red in the face etc.
ReplyDelete2. The sad thing is that Matt doesn´t seem to care about it, ofcourse he e-mails them a few times bu they all answered that they couldn´t comunicate with him at the time. Matts friends arent showing that same intusiasm as Ursula. They arent even close to eachother, they baraly knows eachother, that just makes the situtation worse for him. Personally i think they are cowards , its bad behavior i would fight for my friends to the very end, even if i get in trouble
3. ”its pretty pathetc without you on the team , Urs”
That shows the lack of appreciacion of her skills. Nobody in the team was bothered that Ursula quit the team, they was actually happy about it. But as the time passed they was starting to miss their goal scoring capten and its shows here when Bonnie opens up and tell her the truth.
/Martin Hernandez
It's fun to read your response! I hope there will be a few more :)
ReplyDelete1. I think Ursula is avoiding Matt because she still wants to be by her own and live as she did before. I think she is afraid of letting somebody into her life.
ReplyDelete2. I think Matt's friends are making a big mistake. They are his friends and should be there for him in situations like these. Especially when they were there when the "accident" happened. They are witnesses and should try to help Matt, instead of avoiding him and letting him be drawn into this mess. If I were one of his friends I would have helped Matt as well as I could, otherwise I would got a bad feeling and felt that I wasnt any good friend.
3. A sentence that I like in the text is " Matt had to admire a girl like Ursula, though she made him uneasy, self conscious." Maybe it isnt very important to the story but it shows how some people actually think of her, instead of only seeing her as the "lonely and wierd one". Maybe it would have changed Ursulas life in some ways, if she only knew this kind of things. But I think its a great sentence and it also says a lot about Matt too :)
/Nadja
1.Why do you think Ursula is avoiding Matt at school after he has been released?
ReplyDeleteI think Ursula has some feelings for Matt and when his around her she feels nervous. It could be that when the students in school look weird on her and maybe will think that she also has something with “blowing the school”.
2.He is trying to contact his friends by email but none of them answer. They would think that if they continue talking to him maybe his friends would be involved to this story and they would get problems, they took some space from him. If I were one of his friends I wouldn’t do that I should help him and show them that everything just was a joke, real friends are there for you even in the most difficult situations.
3.
“You´d be a witness for me, Ursula? I do it for anybody, even somebody I didn’t like. You’re the only person who´s contacted me, Ursula".
I liked these sentences because it shows how a real friendship should be and not back out when they saw Matt stuck, instead helping him. When Ursula was there helping him you could feel that she is a good person even if she’s a quiet person. Even though she didn’t know him that much she could still set up for him as much as she could.
/Ahlam
1. I think she has not left the waredrobe yet. This Ursula lives in her own world. She is not really good at open her self to everyone. Her friends will attack her by questions and stuff. But I really think that she like this. She seems very comfortable on this connection with matt. The butterflies in her belly is on top. Ursula wanted to help him at the beginning but she was not ready for this but maybe expected this.
ReplyDelete2.Really awful acts. It feels very wierd that none of them helped him. They must have to do with this "bomb-thing". You should keep your friends close to the heart. Can't imagine such a thing about my friends. But matt handled the situation excellent. He was like fine I'll take care of my self and then got help by the schools most hated girl.
3. You of all people, we expected better from you. This sentence goes around in every single family. Most of people who got caught by the police are more scared about what the family are going to say. Matt has a relly wierd situation. And those word are hard to hear.
Zaman
1. I don't really understand why she is avoiding Matt. It was first when I read that she blushed when Matt smiled at her I started to think that Ursula has a little crush on him. But then I kept on reading and I started to think that Ursula is just being selfish. I don't think she really cares much about Matt (yet), I mean, she doesn't know him very well. But the good impression he gave her and the sign "your friend Matt" maybe made her scared. She doesn't seem to let anybody into her life unless it suits her. So Matt may be to "mainstream" for her, for she always nags about going her own way.
ReplyDeleteAs I wrote before, I really don't understand why she is avoiding Matt. But what I know is that I don't like Ursula at all.
2. Perhaps Matt is angry with them for not defending him but what more could his friends do? One of the friends wrote in an e-mail that they all said the truth to the police and Mr Parrish, that Matt was only joking in the cafeteria. His friends knew the truth and they didn't shut up about it to the police. Matt should stop be so selfish like he was the only one in trouble. His friends were also in trouble with the police. Not as bad as Matt but still, and they even had to hire lawyers too. Can't Matt understand that it was hard for them too? Being questioned about the truth and given advices not to talk to their friend in trouble. That's hard for a friend! Perhaps his friends thought it was the best thing to do at that time. Matts new attitude against his friends doesn't make things easier for them or himself. Matt is the one to blame for blowing things up (haha meaning exaggerate). I think both Matt and Ursula are big crybabies.
If it was my friend in trouble I would have his back. I would probably do what I felt was the right thing to do. Try to prove to the police that I was telling the truth about my friend. And if my family and lawyers would ask me to lay low for a while for me, my family and my friends own good I would do that.
3. "Sorry Matt. Hope you understand". A friend of Matt called Skeet wrote this on page 80. This quote just makes me so angry with Matt for being kind of angry with everybody. Once again, can't Matt understand? This shows that Skeet really is sorry for the way the situation is handled. If Skeet had contacted Matt maybe the situation would have been worse. Maybe Skeet would have been in trouble with his parents or something. Or perhaps the police would have tought bothc Skeet and Matt was planning to blow up the school.
I guess the meaning of the book is to "know who your friends are". Often naive and selfish people think that their friends would do anything for them. Well, the truth is (for me at least) is that as a good friend you only do what you can do and what feels right at the moment . And sometimes as a friend you rearrange your priorities of what is important and what is not.
/Irene
1. Well, I think that because they weren´t friends before she doesn´t feel the need to pretend to be his friend after. They hadn´t really talked to each other before all this happened so they didn´t have any kind of relationship to begin with. I guess Ursula felt she´d done her part in all of this. I also think that Ursula might have different feeling towards Matt that she doesn’t want to acknowledge just yet.
ReplyDelete2. I think they way they react are kind of disgusting. I mean, they didn´t call or try to meet Matt after any of this happened. I don´t think they really believed he would “blow up the school”. I think they were just scared to get involved and maybe get accused as well. I also think their parents had an influence on them too, because in their e-mails to Matt a few days after he got arrested, they all sort of wrote that they thought all of it was sick and stupid but that they couldn’t talk to him for a while or they couldn’t “communicate” with him because their parents didn’t want them to. I think that it is in situations like this that shows who your real friends are. If I’d been one of the people sitting at the table that day and heard Matt joke around I would’ve tried to help him out any way I could, even if it meant getting “involved”. A friend doesn’t stand another friend up when they need you the most.
3. “I used to be shy at school but Ugly Girl was never shy. I used to walk with my eyes lowered, hoping nobody would see me if I didn’t see them, but Ugly Girl never lowered her eyes.” Page 85. I find this quote very interesting because it shows Ursula in another light; it shows that she wasn’t always this tough and confident person that she is now. It makes you wonder what happened to her before she became this person who doesn’t care what anybody else thinks of her and who says what she wants and do what she wants, and isn’t afraid of anybody. It’s strange that Ursula is the only one calling her “Ugly girl”, nobody else says it. Who was she before Ugly girl?
/ Sandra
1. I think Ursula would like to be on her own, she dosen't let somebody in her life. I think the reason to that could be low self- esteem. I also get the feeling that Ursula likes Matt, but shes not ready to admit that to her self or to Matt.
ReplyDelete2. Matt so called friends are wimps, they don't stand up for their friend. Personally I hate when your "friends" let you down. And they are not real friends, real friends got eachothers back no matter what.
3. I chose a piece that Matts friend Neil wrote to him on page 79. " I'd better "keep clear" of the mess for a while. Our lawyer "advises". So I can't answer your e-mails etc right now." That no the whole piece, just the piece I chosen. I think you can see a "fake" friend thing in this piece. A real friend would not write this to his friend, hes scared he would get in to trouble talking to Matt. As a friend you don't care about the trouble you will get in when your helping a friend.
/Sara Håkansson
1. From the beginning she says to Matt that she had done it for anyone because he would, in her not being arrested for bomb threat, he was a little unsure if she meant that she liked him. I think she avoids Matt to the other school will not see those together because she doesn’t want to be his friend or they might think they have something in common, for example, the rumor of bomb threat, many may believe that Ursula was involved if the others see her talk to him at school and that would damaged her reputation even more. Or maybe she is about to fall in love with him and it will be easier for her to avoid him if she did not want to show her feelings.
ReplyDelete2. I think it is unacceptable how Matt's friends are acting accordingly. He is left alone and there is none of those who care and feel sorry for him, there is no one who comes to him and talk about it, give him some advice and backing him up, but it feels as if his friends e fake and just cares for his jokes. If I was Matt's friend, I would help him by talking to him, give him some advice for example to not joke about such serious things that he did and pulled him up if someone would say something stupid to him at school. I had imagined being in his situation and it just gets harder if you do not get the support of someone and to feel lonely and scorned.
3. I chose a quote when Matt yelled at his brother on page 61. "Fucking no. Fucking mind your own business." when Matt's brother Alex asked him, "What is going on at your school, Matt? Is this guy somebody you know?" Matt replied to an unworthy manner. I chose the quote because it's interesting how Matt has changed as a person after the incident, how he speaks and how he behaves towards his family. Feels like he doesn’t care about anyone more, except his dog, Pumpkin.
It was me, Eremal!
ReplyDelete1. she doesn’t want other students to seem them together, rumors moves quickly through the school and that would only give her an even more damaged reputation. Also, she doesn’t want to be his friend, Ursula is a girl who stands for justice, not friendship. She is just doing the right thing, no one else seems to do it.. Yet again, she might see here self in this specific position, a silent call for help, and no one to reach out to.
ReplyDelete2. Matt’s mates should stand up tall behind him, and do whatever in their power to help him out. Just by standing at Matt’s side makes him feel more confident and can easily explain wazup.
His mates should also have explained to the cops that he spoke in sarcasm and he didn’t mean what he said. He is the class clown and says things like this all the time. At least that’s what I would have done. Though it seems like his friends are more plastic then what he thought they would be, they don’t care shit for him they just like him because he is so funny and a good laugh.
3. s65. -I’d do it for anybody, even somebody I didn’t like.
I chose this sentence because I like her thinking, Ursula stands for what’s right and wrong. Sure loads of people are thinking the same way, but fail to act. To help someone you barely know is great thing to do. Many others are for sure talking about that he is innocent, but doing nothing to help him clearing his name.
/Erik "the almighty"
1. I think that Ursula avoids Matt because she’s not used to have friends and I don’t think that she knows to act around him. When Ursula got herself into this she did it just to help Matt and not to become friends with him and she didn’t realize then how much it meant to Matt that she stood up for him. It’s a weird situation for Ursula to have someone who wants to be her friend because she has been on her own for so long. I don’t think that she’s in love with him (not yet) she just don’t know how to behave around guys and rather avoids him because she’s afraid she might do or say something stupid.
ReplyDelete2. If they were true friends they would ignore what their parents said and done the opposite. In a situation like this you need your friends and you need to know that they have your back. None of his friends tried to call him, I mean how hard could it be to just give him a call and if their parents asked who they were talking to you could just lie and say another name. Why act differently against each other when you should just laugh about it and forget this stupid misunderstanding. If I had been a friend of Matt’s the first thing I had done after being questioned is to call him and laugh a few minutes about it and after that made sure that he knows he got my support.
3. “And if gets put in your record, it will jeopardise your college application” p.68.
Ursula and her mum have a discussion about her involvement in the incident at her school. I think it’s a good line because everybody especially the parents in this book are so afraid that something will end up in their children’s record so they won’t get into any college. The parents rather see a boy being accused for something he didn’t do even though their kid has information that could free him from the accusation. That’s sick, they learn their children to deny the truth.
/Louise