Good morning, all.
Some of you have already seen this blog at least once before, and some of you are coming for the first time. Please post your one page, personal reflection as a comment on this post. You will be able to comment directly to the posts after they have been published.
Remember, the due date for the personal reflection is Monday, May 6, at 3:15. I will publish the comments as soon as possible after school. Be sure to start your post with your student number only!
Sincerely,
The Indomitable Mr. Allilomis
322423484 (Question 4)
ReplyDeleteI believe the most significant episode in the novel was when No entered Lou’s home began to bond with Lou’s family. This was significant because it was the turning point in the story. Throughout the beginning of the book No is constantly upset, she has no permanent home and from what I could tell the author was hinting at the fact that she may have been considering ending her life. This quote is what lead me to that thought: “Maybe this is the last time. She has nothing ahead of her, nothing more, no plan, no path, no way out. She doesn’t even know where she’s going to sleep tonight. I can see she’s thinking about it too, but she doesn’t say anything.” When Lou’s family took her in, everything began to turn around for her. She found a job and began bonding with Lou’s mother; telling her story. This was also the point in the story where Lou’s mother began to seem as though she was doing better. “My mother’s asking questions, not automatic questions pre-recorded on tape, real questions that she seems interested in the answers to.” This quote shows some of her improvement. At the start of the novel, Lou’s mother would ask, what Lou called “pre-recorded questions”. These were basic questions that she would ask and they were always the same, for example she would ask how Lou’s day was. As seen in the quote above, once No arrived, she began to ask real questions and have normal conversations. Overall I believe this point in the book was most significant because it was the turning point for the better.
My reaction to this episode was simply to be happy. I was content with the fact that thing finally seemed to be getting better for both No and Lou’s mother. The beginning of the novel seemed fairly depressing to me so it was nice to get to a positive point. I was afraid that the whole novel was going to be very gloomy so the fact that it became joyful was a relief. In addition to making me happy, I began to wonder what was going to happen next. Usually (but not always) books will finish on a happy note and this episode was only at about the midway point of the novel so it brought me to wonder what could happen. Since everything already seemed to be good, it couldn’t stay that was because I highly doubted the half the novel would be describing just how everyone was happy, I knew some other conflict had to show up. These are the main reasons to why I the episode made me curious to what was upcoming.
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DeleteHi
It is really a significant episode in this novel because it changed both No and Lou’s family to the positive side, so I completely agree with you. As you mentioned in the reflection, No is poor, lonely and painful before she came to Lou’s home, but after that she became happier and more fulfilling in her life. She found a job, had friends and learned something from life and from Lou. It was an only part about happiness for Lou, for reader and for herself because author chose to end with a sad outcome.
In addition, I think it was truly a turning point for Lou’s mother, and the tone of this story. Before this episode, the tone is sad and painful, and everyone are feel hopeless and disappointed. However, after this episode, everything turned to be fine, and it seemed like the rainbow after the rain. Lou’s mother changed a lot, just like No, for example, she did not reply to people automatically any more, she started to go out for shopping and entertainment and she began to dress herself. Lou’s mother totally got rid of her son’s death and opened a new page for her bright life. So did No. No had a job to support her expense and had friends to trust that she could play with and communicate with. They all got rid of their old terrible life at that moment, although the ending for them are quite different.
To sum up, I felt upset and hopeless at the beginning, but in this episode, I really felt happy for them because they all found their new goal and hope. This episode was so significant in this story that it was just like a bright light in this novel.
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DeleteI completely agree to what you wrote. This was the most significant episode in the novel. When Lou brought No home, there was change as soon as she walk in the door. Why do you think Lou's family changed when No came into the family. What did you think would happen next since this was the joyful part of the novel.
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ReplyDeleteThe episode I find to be the most significant in this novel is the ending, beginning from page 227. It starts off with Lou talking to No on the phone. Lucas’ mother knew something was up and was coming home to check. Lou packed her bag, left home and went to help Lucas and No get rid of all the evidence of her presence. No and Lou leave, leaving Lucas without an explanation. The two girls spent some time out and then Lou declares she would travel to Ireland with No. After arriving at the station, they waited together for a while and then No left to buy the tickets. She did not come back. Lou realized that No had taken her suitcase, and soon had left the station and went home.
I feel that this was a very important part of the story because it was really unexpected to the reader and even to Lou. No and Lou had this special friendship, they had a connection. No just broke that connection and left Lou without even saying goodbye. It seems like No just kept betraying Lou and everyone who just wanted to help. When Lou and her family came back from their vacation, they saw No on her bed with empty bottles of vodka, whisky and even empty blister packs of pills. When No was at Lucas’ place, she was also seen with empty bottles and the place smelled like booze. She even did something to get Lucas furious after he was kind enough to let her stay over. This part of the novel proves that what Lou’s father had said was in fact true. That maybe No was really part of a different world. It’s like she couldn’t take all this change in her life, it was all happening so fast. No was also probably feeling abandoned all over again because when they went to go see No’s mother, she didn’t open the door. It seems No couldn’t take all the good, all the love Lou was giving her. No kept telling Lou that they are together. Lou remembered something that she read somewhere after No had told her that. It was that “He who’s always assuring himself of your trust will be the first to betray it.” Little did Lou know that this phrase would have so much meaning in the end. But, maybe, No leaving was a good thing. Lou had said that she felt different. That something had happened to her to make her grow up, and she wasn’t afraid. This was her journey.
After I had finished reading the book, I was like, “What?” I really couldn’t understand what had happened and so I had to read the ending again. But, even after that, something seemed to be missing. I couldn’t understand the real reason why No had left Lou at the station. It just seemed like everything was going so well. I also didn’t understand why Mr.Marin gave Lou a book that was very important to him and told her not to give up. What did he mean by that? It looked like he knew something about No. It’s like he was telling Lou some hidden message that only she would understand. I just feel like there are so many questions that are left unanswered. We also find out in the end that No had lied about Laurent, that he had not written to her. This makes me question if anything she had said was true.
I am happy though that at least Lou got the kiss she wanted for a long time. A new chapter in Lou's life has begun.
The chapter called Lucas and Me.
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ReplyDeleteI will be comparing myself to Lou bertignac. Two similarities that we share are that we are both caring, i care for others and always want to help somone in need and the same goes for Lou. She helped No even though she didn't know her. Another similarity that we share is that we are both determination, Lou was determined to help No at whatever means possible and she didnt stop until she was satisfied, in my case when i do something i make sure i do it to my satisfaction which is exactly what Lou did. When i first started reading the novel, i did not like Lou but near the middle i really started to understand and appreciate her as a character,
343174496: When you compare yourself to a character in a book, you need to have some sort of proof. You can't just say Lou is like this and I and also like this. You should have brought proof from the book which said that Lou took care of No even though she didn't know her and then compared it to a situation in your life which supports the idea that you are similar. From your writing I can see that you did it just so you could be over with the assignment and that's all. When you make a reflection you need to back up your points, which you didn't do and also you need to have analysed Lou's character a little bit dipper then you did and maybe then you would have come up with strong arguments. Overall, the idea is nice, but I think you should have put more effort on answering it clearly and you could have used better grammer than you did. (when you write I you need to write it in capital letter).
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DeleteHeyy, well I understand what you are saying , and im sure both you have those similarities and differences. I think you should have elaborate a bit more on how you and Lou are similar or different. Your paragraph need it a lot more detail and explanation to it. Capitalize your "I" and watch your punctuation.
Why did you not like about Lou at first, her attitude , personality , looks, what was it exactly. What made you change your mind about her at they end. What did she do take make you think otherwise about her.
The more detail you have the better the explanation.
Thank you , and have a great day !!
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DeleteThis is a very good reflection. You compare yourself and Lou very well. Lou is very caring, and very determined. You and her seem like you are very alike from your reflection, and you made it into a personal reflection instead of just reflecting on what happened in the book. Well done
320971963: You should provide more information about how you and Lou are similar. You can provide a specific example where you were kind and where Lou was too. Anyone can claim that they're similar in a way. I can claim that I'm similar to Nolwenn since I've taken medicinal drugs once (even though it may not have been to achieve a high, but I've still taken them), but it wouldn't be enough to prove it. You could explain some more and add more details about specific things and why you didn't like Lou in the middle, but changed your opinion near the end.
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DeleteHi. I agree with the comments above and feel you should have went into more depth. At what point did you feel most connected with the character? Why did you feel such a connection? What in your life is similar to the characters? I don't mean just helpful, nice, shy ect. I mean experience wise. Otherwise as something quick and simple it works. Do go into more detail and explain yourself next time.
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Deletein this reflection you compare yourself to Lou but you have no evidence from the novel that you two are alike at all. just because you say she is caring and determined there was no proof of what she did or what you did for you to have similarities to this character.go into more depth next time.
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ReplyDeleteprompt #1:
The ending of the novel called No and Me is really surprised and sorrowful, but I completely agree the behaviours and decisions that No did at the end of the story. No, who was a homeless street girl, left Lou, who saved her from the street and tamed her, in the train station and kept Lou away from her life because it would let Lou feel less suffering and get back to her normal life.
At the end of the story, No made a correct decision for leaving Lou because, truly, it was not Lou’s life at all. Although Lou felt so disappointed that No left her, she did not know that it would be a best way to protect her from pain. First of all, No did not suit the life that Lou lived. Before Lou tamed No, No had no home, no friends, no family and no faith because she felt disappointed to the world that she lived and no one liked her. After she was tamed by Lou, she totally changed. She found the job at hotel, had a place to stay and had friends who liked her. It seemed that Lou have been changed a lot after being tamed, however, that was not her life and, of course, she could not survive in that life though Lou helped and forced her to change. The blanking period that she went away from the normal life was too long to fix and return, so she could not understand the new world and new people in that world as well. Therefore, she decided to throw away that strange life and everything she earned in that world.
In addition, Lou could not know the life that No lived. Actually, Lou never go into that opposite life that No lived and feel that life. No obviously found this problem when she stayed in Lou’s home. For sure that No wanted to get rid of the street life, but she did not want Lou to involve in that kind of terrible situation that she had already felt and she knew that life deeply because Lou helped her so much and even gave her a home to stay. That’s the reason why she called Lou and told her that she wanted to leave there and went with Lou to Ireland. She wanted to return to Lou for helping her back to the normal life and let her back to her own life without No. For returning, No bought her and herself two hats, walked with Lou without reasons, sang in the hostel at the midnight and had dinner together. She wanted Lou to feel happy just like the feelings she felt when they were together. To sum up, I believe that the decision that No made was appropriate for Lou and other people.
Making a decision is not easy, like Lou, she wondered whether to leave home and go with No or just say goodbye to No. Although she got an IQ of 160, she did not see the actual emotions deeply in people’s mind, especially in homeless people. I always hesitate to make a decision when it will relate to other people or a big event. Once the decision has been made, you have to be responsible for it and think about any possibilities on it in order to solve it when it occurs. I have thought about running away from home for several times, but I did not do it, never and ever. Because I can imagine my parents’ anxiousness and worry and my poor ability for survival in the world that has no supports and help, I finally decide to calm down and stay at home which is the best place for me now.
In conclusion, in spite of leaving without saying a goodbye was not the best idea, No did make a appropriate decision which was good for both Lou and herself at that situation and for Lou’s future life. If I were her, I would made the same decision to let everyone back to their right position.
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DeleteHello!
I completely agree with what you have wrote in your reflection. I still don't quite understand why No had left in the first place, without even an explanation. But, I feel that it was a good decision for No to leave Lou that day at the station. It's like No was really part of a different world than Lou, her family and Lucas. Just like you mentioned, "It was not Lou's life at all" . It was not Lou's life because while No was with her, she was part of hers. When No left her, Lou came back to her world, but as a changed women. "Something had happened that had made me grow up. I wasn't afraid." (page 240)
I also believe that this decision was good for Lou, and everyone else who tried to help Lou by helping No. However, I'm wondering if it was a good decision for No. What will happen to her? She said that she wanted to go to Ireland to be with Laurent, a boy that she loved. However, in the end we find out that Laurent hasn't written to No about where he was and how he was doing. So, where will she go? Would she be alright? Would she survive? I think that No made a good decision leaving, just like I had said before, but I feel that that decision could have been played out differently. No should have worked on herself more. It's true she might have tried to, with her job and her relationships, but I feel that she did not try enough. She abused substances which could be dangerous, multiple times in the story and kept disappointing people all around. If No had taken more time to really get herself together, work on her bad habits and develop her skills, I would not be worried for No and what lies ahead of her. She would be ready to go on.
I feel like No was the one who needed to grow up. She should have let go of her fear and believed in herself. She should have unraveled her beautiful soul. The soul that Lou had felt.
What is done is done. No had made her decision. It was I guess the right thing to do.
EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON, RIGHT?
343174496: No made the right decision by leaving Lou. She gave Lou the chance to let Lou live a regular life. No told Lou several time that: "This is not your life Lou!" No left Lou so she could live her life like she needs to. However, I don't understand why did No lie to Lou? She told her that she is going to Ireland and that Laurent is waiting for her, but he isn't. I feel like No could have told Lou the truth and maybe Lou would have understood that they live in two different worlds and although they became close friends, No had to go to in her own way and live her life. Lou was very mature by realizing that every person in the world has his own place that he belongs to and that even if you would try your best to change it you couldn't succeed. However, No could tell her that, she chose to run away from her leaving her to wonder and question why did she do it? But, No made her decision and I believe that there is a reason behind every decision you make.
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DeleteI agree with your post. I don't know why No left without an explanation. I think that it was a bad choice for her because she just left her friend. The person who took her in during her time of need. It's hard to find people that will help during your time of need with out asking for a favor back. It's not a good choice because not everyone will help you so when you do have someone who will you should take full advantage of the situation
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DeleteI agree with this post because No had made the correct, difficult choice. Numerous times No had told Lou that this was not her life, and even though she made the difficult choice of leaving Lou the way she did at the end, she did so in knowing she wouldn't bring her into her life. This may be a way of No showing Lou her gratitude for all the help, a home, and friends she provided, by not bringing Lou with her to a life of everyday hardships.
343174496: Part A:
ReplyDelete1)Lou, the narrator, is an intellectually bright but emotionally and socially young girl. At thirteen, she is in a class with fifteen-year-olds (and a seventeen-year-old who has been held back as much as she has been skipped ahead.) She is an only child, and desperately lonely. Her parents seem to have little time for her, as her mother's battle with depression is enough for them to cope with. Lou befriends No (Nolwenn,) a young homeless woman, and interviews her for a school project. When the project is over, Lou realises that she can't just abandon her new friend, or close her eyes now they have been opened to the troubles faced by many around her city.Lou's narration is full of the hopes and idealism of a good-hearted thirteen-year-old, thinking that she can at least make a difference to one other lonely person's life and help her back into society.However, Lou doesn't understand that changing what can't be changed is impossible. Lou thinks that in the end everything will turn out great and everyone would live happily ever after, but it is not true! People who live in the streets will always be people who live in the streets. Lou maybe got No a job and yes maybe she gave her a home and someone who cares about her, but in the end No left Lou, knowing that she used her to earn some money, showing us that No maybe cared about Lou, but she cared about herself more then anyone in the world. No pretended that she is Lou's friend only to get a job, a place to live and food to eat,basically to save her life. Lou needs to understand that in the real world no matter how much you would want to make a change in the world, to change people, to turn them into a better person is just a myth. Lou needs to know that every person is born like this and no matter what will you do to make him different you would never succeed. It's against nature, you can't change people and make them be someone they are not. It is very sad that Lou couldn't understand it from the first place, she had to understand that it wasn't her world nor her mission to change people hoping to make them “normal”.
Lou should have just done her work and forget about No. In life, you need to forget and move on because if you don't, you would stay in the same place for the rest of your life. Thinking about the past and not moving on towards the future. If she would have moved on she wouldn't have to suffer from thinking how could No betrayed her? How could she just leave her? She could have just lived her life with her parents, going to school every morning and continue living her life like she lived before she mat No. Lou should have read the signs and she could have prevented the nightmare she is going through and will go through for the rest of her life. She had many signs worning her from going furthermore. First, when No left the train station and moved on, showing that she doesn't care about Lou and she doesn't want to see her. Second, when Lou met No's friend to ask her where is No and she said she should stop looking for her because it is not her life! Also, when Lou and her parents left No alone in their house trusting her that everything will be ok, but when they came back they saw that she was drinking alcohol and drinking medicine she didn't need showing that she doesn't care about their rules in the house. Those signs were obvious that she had to leave her alone and let her go when her parents “kicked” her out of the house, but she just couldn't let go! And now she needs to understand that every action has its consequences and she needs to accept her's.
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ReplyDeleteIn the novel : No and me, Lou Bertignac and I share several similarities as well as diffirences.
Lou is a very introverted, quiet, and very smart young lady. Lou has skipped 2 years of school because of how smart she is. She has lost her baby sister , her mother went into a very serious depression and her father tries his best to stay strong and help the family. She likes to observe more than talk. Lou and I share this characteristics, as I also I'm the type of person who watches people and situations before I talk. For example when Lou takes No to the cafe for a drink and Lou lets No talk as much as she wants while listening to her , and after when No falls asleep she sits back and watches her until she wakes up. I would do the same in a situation like that , where I would sit back and listen to the person's problem, life , or experiences and then talk. Lou took a risk to ask her parents to let No , a person they have zero idea about to stay with them. Lou and I are similar in a situation like this because if I ever saw someone in serious need I would take a risk to save their life or give them a better life. all though Lou and I share those similarities we also have some differences . Lou is a very antisocial , calm , and she excels academically , on the other hand i consider myself an average student in school, and I am very extroverted.For example Lou has been invited to a birthday party , but she was very insecure and felt like she does not fit in so she decided not to go. Whereas I enjoy going out to birthday parties and it would be very rare for me to decline an invitation. Lou has gone thru rough times in her life and her parents are not very stable, and the connection between them is very bad. As for me me and my family have had some bad times but we always stay strong and always try to stay close together and support each other. For example Lou after he baby sister died , her mother went thru a rough depression to the point where she had to go to a hospital and Lou was sent away to a boarding school. In my family we had some dear people pass away but we understood that they are in a better place and getting into depression wouldn't help anyone and that the people who need us the most should not see us that way.
My reaction to the character Lou Bertignac is very different in every situation , but at all time I felt so much courage in her, where is took a huge step for someone she just meet and almost knew nothing about. It made me rethink a couple of events in my own life. I saw how much she change thru out the novel , how she went from very quiet and unsocial , to meeting a complete stranger who changed her life and became closer to more members of her class. I was almost always surprised by her decision making and how she took the steps towards those decisions and idea's. She always had a smart way of doing her decision. I loved Lou's character a lot in the novel, she was not your average teenager girl. She was different in in every way, and that made it a good book.
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ReplyDeleteI feel that the most significant episode of No and Me, is when Nolwenn arrived at Lucas's home from work, only for him to find cash sticking out of her pockets. I feel that it is the most important episode because its the first time we see Lucas out of character when he reacted to No, and its one of the major instances Lou realizes that neither her or Lucas may be able to help change No. I was initially shocked when I first read this passage because I hadn't expected Lucas to react in such a way, since he is usually a down to earth, calm and relaxed student. After some thought, I sympathized with Lucas and instead supported where he was coming from because after more analysis, we do not know how she acquired the cash. The reason he could have reacted the way he did was that he jumped to the conclusion that she stole the money, sold stolen things, or to the more sadder revelation she got the money from prostitution. There is no direct wording from the characters in the passage, but we can gather those could be possible reasons for Lucas to react the way he did. I felt that this episode was one of the initial passages that demonstrated the hardships of the characters, as Lucas cracks from the stress and the worry, we observe No in a descending slope of complications and conflicts, and Lou in a position where she must realize that she may not be able to help No any longer and they two might part from one another eventually.
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DeleteI agree with you point, and this is probably the most important part of the novel. the realization that they couldn't actually help No is a very sad moment in the book. After this her downward spiral intensifies, with it ending with her running away with Lou. When the idea dawns on Lou that she cannot be helped, she begins to also get sadder, and decides to run away with No. This event leads to the dramatic end and Lou learning that somethings cannot be changed, and to the reader learning the theme of the book.
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DeleteI agree that when Lucas found money sticking out Nolwenn's pocket is important. But it's not the most important part of the story, it's true that we finally see Lucas react in a different way to No and that's a big twist in the story, It doesn't explain why Lucas was mad so we are left to infer on the situation. I think that it could have many a lot of different reasons for Lucas to be upset. No is staying at the house and not paying any rented therefore she is using him to get a free place to stay when she has money. I think that's why Lucas was so furious during that time.
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DeleteI agree with you in all points, the passage was "mysterious" interesting, drawing attention, and even entertaining to visualise how they react,sadly the end was exactly like you said.
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Deletei agree with everything that you said this episode of the novel was very striking, captivating and stirring. You went into depth and detail with your reflection and I think you did a very good job.
308934322?????
ReplyDeleteFor the Character Nolan, I disagree with her actions throughout the book. Nolan made bad choices al throughout her life and had to pay for them. No would do the wrong thing all the time. She would run away, smoke and live on the streets. No had put no values into a family or a home. No made the wrong decision too many times in her life.
I think No was behaving this way because how bad her childhood was. No made these bad choices because being the child of a rape victim, her mother hated her and would treat her like a monster. No grew up without a family that loved her, and whenever she didn’t like something she would run away. No had a very dysfunctional family, her mother’s boyfriend left her during the night and the mom didn’t care anymore.
I disagree with Nolan’s actions because she was given so many chances to start a new life after her childhood. No was given a second when she was put into a foster family. It was No’s choices that lead her to run away from the house and runaway from school. No made the choice to run away and start a life on the street. She would have had a fine life if she stayed with her foster family.
I would recommend that No have stayed with her foster family. That family put a roof over her house and 3 meals a day. No could have stayed with them until she went to university or could live on her own. Even if No still ran away, she was given another chance when Lou and her family took her in. The Bertignacs also gave her a bed and food to eat. No gave it all up and ran away with some of there money and pills when they had left her alone in their apartment.
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DeleteHELLO !
I can see what you are trying to say here. I agree that No has made some mistakes in her life that has cost her much. However, I do not think that ALL the choices she made were bad. It is true she would smoke, run away, take drugs and drink until she would pass out, but that is not all she was. She is a smart and bold teenage girl (says so in the back of the book), who has been through many difficult situations.
You say that No had many chances to start a new life after her tough childhood, with the foster family she had been placed with. But, how do you know for sure that this foster family wanted to give No a chance for a better life? What if they were worse? Many stories out there real or not, show us how children and teens run away from their foster families or how they keep getting placed in a new family because the previous one had kicked them out. Maybe No just didn't get the right family for her. However, this might have been a good thing. Maybe running away was in fact a good choice, because if it wasn't for that, No would have never met Lou.
What I really want to say is that I don't think everything No did was a mistake. Just look at it this way. If Lou had never met No, Lou would have had a harder time with her presentation. But, wait, that isn't even the most important! If Lou hadn't met No, No wouldn't have never came to live with Lou's family. When No came into their home, they accepted her right away. Even though in the end No had to leave the house because of the way she behaved, No made a difference in Lou's family. No in a way changed their life. Lou's mother began dressing up again, speaking more, and doing the things she used to do. Lou's father was becoming happier, watching his wife become herself again. And, Lou had finally found someone who understands her. No brought this family closer and left something behind that the family will remember forever.
We don't know the real reason why No had "gave it all up" and left Lou, but have you considered that this might have been a good choice for everyone. It just seemed like No couldn't become part of Lou's world. Maybe it was for the best? But, HEY, I don't think that No had taken money from Lou's family. No had done a lot of bad things, but I don't think she went down that road.
I agree though that No might have made some mistakes along the way. But, she is only human.
We all make mistakes! I know that if I was No, I'd be lost in the world.
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DeleteI would agree with you and of what you have said about No and her life, and after reading your response multiple times (thanks to all your spelling mistakes) i have concluded that you were indeed correct with your summary. You said that No had many chances to change but if you really read the story you might have noticed that No really didn't. The points you brought up were ok but very mediocre, they were something that everyone might not agree with. You said that you disagreed with No actions and her decisions, i have to disagree with that point. Think about it in this way, what if you were in her position, what would have done. Would you have taken the bullying her mother gave her or would have run away. Plus with her terrible childhood, at least she didn't commit suicide. I mean it as she had such a terrible time, its no surprise that she went into substance abuse. My conclusion to your response is that it was mediocre and that i disagree with several of your points but not all of them.
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DeleteYes, No did make quite some mistakes but every one deserve some chances, yes everyone deserves some, it matters not how many bad choices they made, it matters how much they learned from them
308973585 Hi. I do understand this is a personal reflection but I felt that you were being much more judgmental. Imagine someone who has been on the streets for years. All they have ever known and felt was neglect and abuse. As if they were useless and worthless to everyone and after such a long period of time living on the streets and it became their life and lifestyle. Imagine someone telling you to go live on the streets for years and years, you'd never be able to get used to that because you're used to having a roof over your head and being fed and going to school. I'm just saying next time look at it from a different point of view/perspective.
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ReplyDeletehi hi I agree with some of what both of you have said but I disagree with a few aspects of the post. I fully heartedly agree that No was given opportunities to change and she should have made more of an effort. However, from a psychological point of view, No's ability to bond with her mother was broken at a young age and she's also partly traumatized, from being raped and living on the streets for half her life, there's no doubt that she's seen things she didn't want to see or been wrapped up in scarring situations. Therefore, without any therapy or clinical help she's as is and that would mean that its possible that she can't behave like a normal person. Mentally, emotionally and physically can't which wouldn't be her fault. The only mistakes she would have made are the morally unethical decisions she took after moving in with Lou or stealing etc, something that she is in control of. Even then her values and morals are in fact 'out of whack', back to my previous statement. Also even though at one point No stole drugs some drugs and money I do not think that No took advantage of Lou all that much- No earned her money by working for the most part and the Bertignac family didn't bring No on trips, No never destroyed the house. It would have been a different story if No stole clothes, food and money before leaving Lou's house at the end but her whereabouts are unknown and for all we know she could be back on the streets in another town so it's not like she's going to somewhere else better ( that we know). Those are just a few of my thoughts.
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ReplyDeleteI would like to compare the event where Lou and her mother find Lou's little sister dead on their couch with a very difficult time in my life. When I was young, 2 years old i presume, I got really sick and had to go to the hospital. The doctor told my mother that I had Scarlet Fever, a infectious disease that was not curable at the time. I was in the hospital for about a month and I wasn't showing any signs of recovery. I got several shots a day and nothing would happen, then eventually the doctor was basically giving up on me. My grandfather was very sick as well and he was staying at the same hospital as I was. Suddenly the doctors see that I am recovering, but out of no where. But then right when I fully recovered, my grandfather passed away. In the novel: No and Me, Lou and I share similarities and differences. Similarities that Lou and I share are the fact that we both lost someone in our life, Lou lost her little sister and I lost my grandfather, we both enjoy developing theories about how the world works, both our families have struggle to hold things together and we both have mothers that were depressed after horrific event but Lou's mother lost her child and my mother almost lost one of her children, therefore I could not imagine the depression and pain my mother or even Lou's mother and what she could have went through or what my mother could have went through. The differences between Lou and I is that she had met a homeless person and had a friendship with them, I met many homeless people but never have I had a full conversation with them, much less a friendship. I guess because Lou met a homeless person that was closed aged with her and then they had more to relate to but I have never met a homeless person closed aged with me but unfortunately there are many homeless teenagers out there.
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ReplyDeleteI am comparing myself to the character Lou Bertignac. Lou and I share many similarities and differences. Lou is very mature for her age, she skipped 2 grades in school. She is very closed up and keeps to herself. Shes experienced a very difficult and rough past, in which I think is what makes her closed up and beyond her years. Her family is falling apart; Lou's mother suffers from clinical depression after the death of her baby sister and her dad is an emotional wreck. Lou never got that love and affection from her parents that every child and teenager especially needs. So instead she spends her time observing and reading people in attempt to get that love, affection and emotion that she never got from her those close to her. This is one of the biggest similarities I share with Lou. My background and home life was identical to Lou's growing up. I never got or felt the love that I should have from my parents. So I search for it from other people.“When you can’t sleep at night, worries multiply - they swell and get bigger, and as time ticks by, the future grows darker, the evidence backs up your worst fears, nothing seems possible anymore, nothing is calm or surmountable. Insomnia is the dark side of the imagination. I’m familiar with these black, secret hours. The following morning you wake up numb, the disaster scenarios have become fantastical. The day will wipe away the memory of them. You get up, wash and tell yourself that you’ll make it. But sometimes the night does announce the color of the day, sometimes the night reveals only the truth: time passes and things will never be the same again” I needed to put the book down for a minute after reading this quote, I never felt so connected to a character before. As much as I’m connected to Lou and the amount of similarities we share emotionally we have our differences as well. Lou has a sense of restraint and stillness to her and is just very reserved. Which makes us different, because I’m the opposite. I’m not quiet nor am I calm. I prefer to be outgoing and communicative to keep myself positive. Lou used to stop herself from acting such a way because of her self-doubt and anxiety until she met No. As much as in the end she was felt broken from No leaving her she was able to learn off that and grow as a person and eventually will be able to move past it. I on the other hand am only learning to move past things and events like this. I feel as if Lou is a stronger person than I am. She herself said "Something had happened that had made me grow up. I wasn't afraid."
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ReplyDeleteQuestion 2
This story has a wide range of characters but there are only certain characters actual people to relate to. I personally can say that I relate to Anouk the most because when she was thinking either to let Nolwyn into her home at the time of when Lou was doing his assignment. I understand the confusion she was going through at the time either to the moral choice or the logical choice. This is a very hard thing to do because your putting a minors live at your hands and choosing their fate, which sometimes certain people can handle because of the pressure their under at a time. One difference I have with this character is that even if she was very confused on what to do with Nolwyn, she should have not him in through the process and just said no instead of putting him in a position of uncertainty. So if I was her, I would have been straight forward with my decision and just said why or why not Nolwyn is eligible to stay with the family with all their problems. If people had the kindness and courtesy to tell people what they actually thought instead of just letting it just slip by maybe more people would end up in better situations because of this.
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ReplyDeleteI feel that the most significant part of this novel is when No left Lou at the train station.
This shows that no matter what Lou did to make No feel at home and comfortable, she wasn't in the position to help someone in No’s situation. Showing that it isn't easy to help someone out if you don’t have the somewhat same experiences as the person did. This also reveals that without the background knowledge of the life style that the person has. I feel that this episode is the most significant because sometimes the person you want to hold onto the most is the person you have to let go of.This is proven when you were able to tell that Lou was so crushed after No left at the end of the story, she was never really meant for Lou’s family. They had two different lifestyles. My reaction to this part of the novel was that No had to move not because Lou’s family wasn't treating her in an appropriate way but because No needed special attention from a person and/or family that experienced a situation of the same genre as No and was able to get themselves back onto their feet and continues their lives as a peaceful and happy family that can end up living independently. I reacted this way because I feel that No needed to get away from the pressure that was put on her by a family that had no experience with what was going on in her life and that she needed to find someone that was able to help her with her problem instead of causing more problems.
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ReplyDeleteI agree, A person of No's age that was abused and became homeless at a young age will definitely be traumatized, that is why without psychological help, she won't be able to take it easy and focus on the things she needs to accomplish in life. Therefore she could not be blamed entirely for what has happened to her.