A Plot and Setting Review of Judy Blume's Classical Book "Freckle Juice" Essay

Freckle Juice is a classic children's book written by Judy Blume. Although written in 1971, the story can relate to every new generation of middle school aged children. The book revolves around Andrew Marcus, a freckleless boy with a burning desire to have freckles. His greatest object of envy is Nicky Lane, whom he sits behind in class. Nicky is covered with freckles. Unfortunately, Andrew also shares his classroom with Sharon, a conniving little girl. Once Sharon learns of Andrew's desire to have freckles, she sells him a bogus recipe for "Freckle Juice," which Sharon guarantees will produce freckles. The recipe is a nauseating concoction of kitchen items, including vinegar, onions, and mustard. When Andrew drinks the "Freckle Juice" he not only becomes violently sick, but fails to get any freckles. Not wanting to return to school still freckleless, Andrew covers his face with blue dots with a magic marker. His classmates find his blue freckles amusing. Then his teacher, Miss Kelley, gives him a "secret formula" to remove the "freckles," and stresses to Andrew that he is very handsome with without freckles. Andrew also learns that Nicky is actually envious of him because he doesn't have freckles.I enjoyed reading this book. I feel that someone in any age group could read the story, enjoy it, and understand the value of self concept and self esteem that it emphasizes. Nearly every human finds a flaw in them whether it is obesity, mannerisms, language, or not having freckles! This story encourages people to see themselves as others do, and to appreciate the qualities they possess. I strongly feel that Freckle Juice would be an important component to teach in the middle grade classroom. Children at this age level can feel extremely self conscious of their appearance, as they are evolving from adolescence to puberty. Freckle Juice is an easy to read story that illustrates one boy's envy toward another classmate. I believe this story is realistic...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Character Analysis of Basil Hallward in The Picture of Dorian Gray, a Novel by Oscar Wilde Essay

The main character in The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian, is a man too easily influenced by his surroundings. He is quoted as saying, Basil Hallward is what I think I am Lord Henry is what the world thinks me Dorian is what I would like to bein other ages, perhaps (Wilde). This comparison falls in line with the moral of the story because Dorian is stuck with eternal youth and beauty even though he has a wicked soul. This causes different views of him by people who observe his daily life. Dorian is a sponge throughout the novel that absorbs everything and allows it to shape his personality, morals, and actions. Dorian Gray takes influence from Lord Henry, Basil Hallward, and the culture of society during which the novel was written. Lord Henry is the epitome of a wealthy, hedonistic gentleman seeking only pleasure, with little regard to cost or consequence. Lord Henry Wotton outwardly propounds hedonism, but it is his extreme egotism that drives him to manipulate both Basil Hallward a
Read more

Religious Symbolism in The Blessed Damozel, a Poem by Dante Gabriel Rossetti Essay

Dante Gabriel Rossettis poem The Blessed Damozel is full of religious symbolism. There is talk of saints, and the poem itself takes place in heaven. But underneath the religious symbolism is a deep sensuality, that makes one wonder if the white rose of Marys gift referred to in line nine is the gift of Mary the Virgin, or the somewhat less virginal Mary Magdalene. While the Damozel is in heaven, her appearance in heaven, her behaviors in life, and what happens when she and her lover are reunited suggest some less than virginal dealings, yet the damozel is blessed and resides in heaven. Rossetti was the child of liberals kicked out of Italy a heavily catholic country for their extreme political views. While Rossetti himself was not political, he may have espoused similar views regarding politics and religion as his parents. In the poem The Blessed Damozel, Rossetti was given the chance to essentially create his own heaven. Most everything he wrote seems to show that Rossetti espoused
Read more

An Analysis of the Character of Chichikov in the Poem, Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol Essay

Dead Souls takes place in the Russia of the late 1800s, where, unlike in America, one must be born into a prosperous family in order to have opportunities. The main character, Chichikov, is clever enough to develop a scheme in which he can rise from being a petty clerk to a respected landowner. In order to do this, Chichikov moves into a new town, pretending to already be a landowner, and begins a quest to buy the names of dead serfs who have not yet been officially reported dead. Each person that Chichkov presents this offer to has a different reaction, starting with the shy and introverted Manilov. Though he does not understand Chichikov's need for the names of these dead serfs, Manilov is a character that is so desperate for company that it does not take any effort to trick him into selling his dead souls cheaply. However, as Chichikov continues his journey, he starts to deal with more clever landowners who become suspicious of his scheme. Chichikov finds that the townsmen know
Read more