Welcome FHS students! Please check your FHS gmail! We'll use this blog to talk about our summer readings. Sign into Google with your Fairview Schools login. Speak, Never Fall Down, and The Age of Miracles discussion questions are all on this page. Scroll down to find each novel's questions. Then, click on Comment link following the questions you wish to answer. Click on the page links on the left to access additional information.
Discussion Questions for All Novels
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Speak: 9: Flaws are Interesting
9. Mr. Freeman, again! He tells Melinda that "nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting." He's literally talking about a drawing of tree, but what do you think he really means?
Throughout the novel, Mr.Freeman emphasizes the philosophy that art and life are all in the same. His philosophy not only applies for prompt number eight, but prompt number nine as well. Like how the flaws in art make it unique, flaws in personality make individuals unique.“Flaws are interesting” because flaws are character. If no individual had a quirk, insecurity, or “problem” they wouldn’t be an individual. Just like how mistakes are the blueprints of our personal existence, flaws are the blueprints of our personality. A flawless human doesn't exist, because each individual has there own opinion on what a flaw is. If flaws didn't exist the human brain would be almost robotic. A good example would be the society in "The Giver". In that society no one can understand the concept of difference, or personality. All they do is live, work, and follow a routine. There is nothing interesting about that life style. Overall, I think Mr.Freeman means, you are you, and I am me, and that is pretty interesting.
Imagine a world where everything is the same. Every person looks and acts the same. All nature has one look; and every building and structure are the same shape and color. Would life be interesting or exciting in any way? There would be no wonder or amazement in viewing the world. Not much, if any, excitement in daily life. Who would choose to live in a world like that? Certainly not myself! When human beings have flaws or something about them that’s out of the norm, it makes them more intriguing. This is because they have something special about them that others don’t have. They are unique. I feel that when Mr. Freeman states that “Flaws are interesting”, that he is trying to make this point. The saying that “nothing is perfect” is one of the most accurate. Beauty, is truly in the eye of the beholder. There are quite a few cliques at Merryweather High. They consist of groups of people that act and look alike. Melinda is different, and for this reason, she doesn’t fit into a clique. Melinda attracts much attention in school. In this case, it’s not exactly good attention; Nonetheless, she attracts it because she is interesting to others. Many times we are angry that we have flaws, or we wish that we were perfect. Maybe, we should be happy that we were blessed to not be the same as everyone else.
@16sertzs. Would you agree that her "I'm nothing" attitude is what makes her interesting to others? It annoys me as the reader to see how much Melinda condescends herself. She says how she is nothing and uninteresting, but that very appearance is what makes her interesting and what grasps the attention of others. Then I realized that all she wanted was attention all along, but she would speak up for it. Hence the tittle "Speak"
I think that the reason Melinda is interesting to others is her quietness. If someone was that quiet, wouldn't you be interested in them? Melinda does want attention, but she doesn't want the kind of attention that most people want. She's not asking to be popular or envied by others. She just wants someone to notice her problem and help her; but Melinda doesn't have the strength to talk about it with people.
Melinda spent the entire school year attempting to draw, sculpt, or paint a perfect tree. In the end, however, Melinda always found a flaw within her artwork. Often, Melinda gave up on a sculpture due to too many imperfections. Mr. Freeman explains to Melinda that “nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting.” While Mr. Freeman is referring to Melinda’s artwork, I believe Mr. Freeman is referring to people as well. Melinda dislikes imperfections, therefore, disliking herself. She tries to mask her flaws by not speaking of them. On the other hand, Mr. Freeman thinks flaws are interesting because they tell a story. His statement also applies to people because no one is perfect. Because everyone is different, our flaws make us unique and interesting. By the end of the novel, Melinda comes to realize that nothing is perfect, and that’s okay.
Wow, I think Grace made outstanding points that I would not have thought of. When she says, "Melinda dislikes imperfections, therefore, disliking herself.She tries to mask her flaws by not speaking of them." This statement is so true and applies throughout the whole novel. Melinda always thought everything she did had to be perfect and because of her insecurities that if she wasn't perfect, then she would be hated. To cover up her imperfections she would just not speak in general. By the end of the novel, Mr. Freeman taught Melinda that being perfect isn't even a good thing, and this is referring not only to herself, but to everything in life.
Mr. Freeman tells Melinda that flaws are interesting because, well, flaws are interesting! Melinda and Mr. Freeman have a very close relationship in the novel, even if they aren’t constantly together, I feel as if Mr. Freeman understands Melinda better than almost any other character in the book. As many other teenage girls, and teenagers in general, Melinda sees her faults and flaws as what will be her downfall in life, and she lets you know what they are. Throughout the novel Melinda picks herself apart looking for the tiniest flaws. It is my belief that Mr. Freeman can sense this in her, and that is why he bestows this piece of knowledge upon her. To me, flaws are not only interesting, they are incredibly important. Flaws are what make human beings unique. If we were all perfect human beings (which by the way, don’t exist) the world would be an incredibly boring place. We would all be muscle monsters, super geniuses, and insanely compassionate. However, the problem is, we would never encounter any problems, and once in this cycle, I feel we would all fall into an endless rutt of oblivion which, to me, would be very depressing. Mr. Freeman was just trying to instill a thought into Melinda’s head that was very true, her flaws are not flaws at all, but simply what makes her who she is, and who she should be overwhelmingly proud to be.
Garrett brings up a very good point about the importance of flaws. He talks about a scenario in which everyone on Earth is “perfect.” I remember reading The Giver in middle school which comes up with another scenario for such incidences. The novel shows that perfect isn’t really perfect. The “endless rut of oblivion” that Garrett writes about really makes you stop and think what would life really be like if everyone was perfect. Garrett mentioned the word depressing, and I think I’d have to agree. That’s why flaws are interesting. They make everyone perfect in their own special way.
By telling Melinda that “nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting,” Mr. Freeman is politely saying that perfect is boring and expected. Imagine what it would be like if people always saw, heard, touched, tasted, smelled, and learned what they expected to. Nothing would be a surprise, nothing would be interesting, and everything would be anticipated. Life would become dull. But by seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, or learning something out of the ordinary, your interest is stirred. Mr. Freeman is literally telling Melinda to create a tree that people would want to look at, not glance at. If people saw an ordinary, stereotypical “perfect tree,” they would glimpse at it and not give it the time of day. But if people were to see a tree that was unusual, one-of-a-kind, and imperfect, they would stop for a moment and study the tree. The flawed tree would catch their attention and make them think whereas the flawless tree would only receive a glance or two. Simply put, the flawed tree would be remembered; the flawless tree would be forgotten. Literally, Mr. Freeman is talking about Melinda’s tree. Figuratively, he is talking about people and their personalities. Coming across people in life, I tend to find interest in the people who have personalities that are unique. People with ordinary, common personalities normally don’t even catch my attention. It is more enjoyable to spend time with people that will say or do something that I would not expect (to some extent). If I was hanging out with someone that says and does the same things that I do, it would be like having a conversation with myself, and where’s the fun in that? I take notice of people that accept their flaws and make the most of them because let’s be honest, who doesn't have flaws?
I agree with Antonia’s views on flaws. Everyone has flaws, and everyone makes mistakes. Perfect is boring. If someone does not have any flaws, then they are not an individual. Mr. Freeman wants the tree to be an individual tree; not like every other tree in the forest. The tree needs to reflect who Melinda is on the inside. I agree with Antonia when she says, “Coming across people in life, I tend to find interest in the people who have personalities that are unique.” I despise when people never try anything new and never attempt to have clean fun. Unique personalities ensure that people will be interesting and fun.
“Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting.” Nobody is perfect. Everyone has their own personal flaws, but that is what makes you an individual. What if no one had any flaws and everyone was perfect? We would all be pretty boring people. Flaws really do make everything interesting. Mr. Freeman is telling Melinda that you don’t want to be perfect. You have to stay true to who you are and embrace all of your flaws. Even when Mr. Freeman is talking about art, he is still teaching Melinda life lessons. The tree Melinda paints in art and the damaged tree in Melinda’s yard that heals and grows symbolize the growing and healing Melinda goes through personally.
I agree with everything that Nina pointed out here. No one is perfect. That is what makes us unique as people as we live our lives. Mr. Freeman actually does teach Melinda a lot of life lessons throughout the novel. When we admit that we are wrong, that is when someone admits that they have flaws without truly realizing it. That is what I like about flaws, you sometimes don’t know you have one until someone points it out, or you admitted something that can change what you know because of that single flaw.
“…This looks like a tree, but an average, ordinary, everyday, boring tree…. Scar it, give it a twisted branch –perfect trees don’t exist. Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting. Be the tree.” (153). Picture a tree, a perfect tree. It stands tall and proud, the trunk is straight, no roots are visible above ground, its branches come out of the tree at 90o angles, each branch is exactly 2 feet apart lined up perfectly, and each limb of each branch follows this same pattern as well as every leaf etc. This tree is perfect, but why does it not look perfect? Now you see a new tree that is just as old and proud looking as the last one, but this one is different. It is shorter than the last tree and unlike the previous tree you see that the trunk has some twists and turns and a big knot at the bottom. It is missing a large branch that would have been the tree’s first branch about 11 feet up and just below the missing branch there is a heart carved into the trunk with a pair of initials inside that can no longer be distinguished. The tree has a bubbled kind of look that wasn’t present on the other tree and there is not pattern at all in the branches. Each branch being a new unique part of the tree and no two are exactly the same. The leaves of this tree come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, some whole and some torn. When the tree moves you are inspired because it has stories to tell, history to reveal, and it has seen so much it speaks to you. Being a person who loves nature and oddly enough has a passion for trees I particularly enjoyed this part of the book. When I see a tree I don’t see leaves and a trunk and branches I see a life and a story. For example, in the gnarled and twisted trunk I see hard times and struggles. Maybe this tree grew next to another tree that died and withered away, or maybe it had an infection. The missing branch could have been lost in that very infection or maybe it was hit by a bolt of lightning or a strong wind ripped it from the trunk or maybe it had a swing on that branch when it was younger and a very heavy person brought it down. And the carved heart may have been carved a hundred years ago. Or perhaps they were a pair of star-crossed lovers so desperate to be together that they did not take time to carve deep enough. Or the heart is more recent and the love affair did not end well and the initials were mutilated in an attempt to forget. The bubbled look could be from an infection or did the tree have an infestation of termites. Then each branch has its own story, a slip of a child’s boot in an attempt to climb higher into it reaching for the sky or a bird making its nest and raising its babies. Each leaf has a new story of trials and triumphs. This book made me see people as I see trees, but we get to tell our stories instead of showing them on our faces and bodies, although sometimes we do both. A war hero comes home without an arm and a story to tell a. A woman with stretch marks along her abdomen from a particularly painful pregnancy, a teenaged girl with cuts and scars for every painful experience that led her to the act out her pain, or a girl with cracked lips afraid to speak for fear she will be hurt again. But then there are those who choose to seem perfect and let the scars fester on the inside. Nothing is perfect. Everyone gets hurt. Life takes sudden turns and no one is immune to falling down once or twice. But flaws are interesting, they give life color and character, they make the happy girl you see today because she has decided to take what life gives her and make the best of it. Flaws are interesting, the ones you see and the intangibles. Not every scar is happy or beautiful, but they make up who someone is and that is what is beautiful. Mr. Freeman is right when he says flaws are interesting, but not in the way he means. He means that the tree is boring without a few twists and turns, but isn’t that true with everything? The ordeal that Melinda went through is horrible but it makes her who she is, how she acts, and what she does and that is beautiful.
Mia did a fantastic job of explaining Mr. Freeman's words. Her large paragraph was very moving. I almost cried. Almost. I agree with Mia that every tree, along with every human, has a story. Although every story is unique, some may. Everyone is different, and has a unique story. Yet, everyone is similar on the inside. On the outside of a tree, the bark may be smooth, rough, mangled, brown, grey, et cetera, but on the inside of trees, they all have rings. People are all different, scarred by different memories, but indeed human's flaws and differences are what makes us interesting. If every tree was a 'perfect' tree, would nature be all that beautiful? Not really. If every person looked the same and had shared all the same experiences, nobody would be interesting. Mia made a good point when she said, “we get to tell our stories instead of showing them on our faces and bodies, although sometimes we do both.” In the novel, Mel showed her story though her art, although the stories in her artwork weren't very distinguishable. I usually tell my stories though words and by using my body and facial expressions, but Mel, who didn't speak much, or converse with people, had to find another way to express herself.
Mr. Freeman states 'Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting.' talking about the tree. He is right. Nobody and nothing is perfect. Everything has flaws, we're made up of perfect flaws. I believe he is hinting at Melinda, that her flaws make up who she is. Being too perfect is boring, but flaws make it interesting. You could glance at a perfect tree and not even think about it. However, looking at a tree with flaws could have you there thinking about it for a while. That's what he wants Melinda's trees to be like, yet she's trying to draw the perfect tree. Melinda scraps all her artwork that she finds flaws in, when Mr. Freeman thinks she's doing good. If she stopped trying so hard to make it perfect, Melinda would realize her tree is perfect the way it is, no matter the imperfection. Melinda has imperfections, but that doesn't mean she should be scrapped. I believe Mr. Freeman is trying to tell Melinda she's not perfect, but her imperfections make up who she is.
I agree with everything Anna said. Everyone’s different flaws are what make them who they are. I liked Anna’s analogy to the perfect tree and the non perfect tree. When you see a perfect tree, you don’t really stop and look at it. You just keep walking past it without a second thought. However, when you walk past a tree with many flaws, you stop and look at it. You stop and think about how it got all its flaws. I also liked when Anna said, “I believe Mr. Freeman is trying to tell Melinda she's not perfect, but her imperfections make up who she is.” It is okay to have flaws. Flaws are what make everyone who they are. No one should be ashamed of their flaws; they should embrace them and accept them. Nobody is perfect, and no one should want to be perfect. Everyone should want to be just the way they are.
Perfection is the highest degree of proficiency, skill or excellence. No one is perfect. No person has the power or authority to decide whether or not you are perfect. Anything that makes us different gives us character. Can you imagine a world full of perfect people? All highly skilled and knowledgeable. The only problem, though, would be that we would have no room for improvement or growth whatsoever. If you look around you, you notice that nothing is perfect. Your room might be a disaster or a painting might be askew. In nature you will never find anything exactly the same. The clouds and trees are not perfectly symmetrical and not one snowflake is the same. All of them are unique in their own way. It is those differences that appeal to the eye. You should be proud of what makes you different, not embarrased. To be proud gives you even more character, which is more important than any physical attribute. We all need to learn to look past others imperfections and notice the true person that they are inside. Although we would all love to be perfect, we must remember that we cannot be completely perfect. We need to learn to accept our flaws and live with them.
Kaija is right, no one is perfect. Mr. Freeman is telling Melinda that she shouldn't worry about her imperfections. Kaija says that "If everything is the same, then it would be boring." I totally agree with this, if no one was different then how would we be able to correct ourselves?
Kaija brings up a wonderful point, perfection is boring. Aside from being near impossible to obtain, being perfect leaves you stuck in one place with no way to change or grow. A person who is perfect will never go on a life-changing trip, because any change in his or her life would cause him or her to not be perfect anymore. This person could never look at a piece of art and have a realization that this is what they want to do because he is already the glowing image of perfection. A perfect person can never change or view any point differently because he or she is stuck in perfection.
I think Mr. Freeman is implying that this concept does not just apply to just the drawing of the tree. Mr. Freeman is hinting to Melinda that she does not have to be perfect. Everyone has mistakes and tragic backstories that define who they are as a person. Melinda’s rape at this point in the book is the bain of her existence, but by the last few days of school becomes her savior. She finally comes to accept the tragedy as an event that shaped who she is today, and is able to speak and build off of it to make herself a better person. Contrarily, towards the end of the novel, Melinda discovers that trees also don’t have to be perfect. The tree is her front yard is diseased and dying, but it is still a beautiful subject. I think Mr. Freeman wants Melinda to accept that everything around her is not perfect, including herself, and never can be. From that, he wants to understand that these flaws are what make each of us unique in our own way.
16thomsonz Re: Speak: 9: Flaws are Interesting.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, Mr.Freeman emphasizes the philosophy that art and life are all in the same. His philosophy not only applies for prompt number eight, but prompt number nine as well. Like how the flaws in art make it unique, flaws in personality make individuals unique.“Flaws are interesting” because flaws are character. If no individual had a quirk, insecurity, or “problem” they wouldn’t be an individual. Just like how mistakes are the blueprints of our personal existence, flaws are the blueprints of our personality.
A flawless human doesn't exist, because each individual has there own opinion on what a flaw is. If flaws didn't exist the human brain would be almost robotic. A good example would be the society in "The Giver". In that society no one can understand the concept of difference, or personality. All they do is live, work, and follow a routine. There is nothing interesting about that life style.
Overall, I think Mr.Freeman means, you are you, and I am me, and that is pretty interesting.
Imagine a world where everything is the same. Every person looks and acts the same. All nature has one look; and every building and structure are the same shape and color. Would life be interesting or exciting in any way? There would be no wonder or amazement in viewing the world. Not much, if any, excitement in daily life. Who would choose to live in a world like that? Certainly not myself! When human beings have flaws or something about them that’s out of the norm, it makes them more intriguing. This is because they have something special about them that others don’t have. They are unique. I feel that when Mr. Freeman states that “Flaws are interesting”, that he is trying to make this point. The saying that “nothing is perfect” is one of the most accurate. Beauty, is truly in the eye of the beholder.
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few cliques at Merryweather High. They consist of groups of people that act and look alike. Melinda is different, and for this reason, she doesn’t fit into a clique. Melinda attracts much attention in school. In this case, it’s not exactly good attention; Nonetheless, she attracts it because she is interesting to others. Many times we are angry that we have flaws, or we wish that we were perfect. Maybe, we should be happy that we were blessed to not be the same as everyone else.
@16sertzs. Would you agree that her "I'm nothing" attitude is what makes her interesting to others? It annoys me as the reader to see how much Melinda condescends herself. She says how she is nothing and uninteresting, but that very appearance is what makes her interesting and what grasps the attention of others. Then I realized that all she wanted was attention all along, but she would speak up for it. Hence the tittle "Speak"
ReplyDeleteI think that the reason Melinda is interesting to others is her quietness. If someone was that quiet, wouldn't you be interested in them? Melinda does want attention, but she doesn't want the kind of attention that most people want. She's not asking to be popular or envied by others. She just wants someone to notice her problem and help her; but Melinda doesn't have the strength to talk about it with people.
DeleteMelinda spent the entire school year attempting to draw, sculpt, or paint a perfect tree. In the end, however, Melinda always found a flaw within her artwork. Often, Melinda gave up on a sculpture due to too many imperfections. Mr. Freeman explains to Melinda that “nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting.” While Mr. Freeman is referring to Melinda’s artwork, I believe Mr. Freeman is referring to people as well. Melinda dislikes imperfections, therefore, disliking herself. She tries to mask her flaws by not speaking of them. On the other hand, Mr. Freeman thinks flaws are interesting because they tell a story. His statement also applies to people because no one is perfect. Because everyone is different, our flaws make us unique and interesting. By the end of the novel, Melinda comes to realize that nothing is perfect, and that’s okay.
ReplyDeleteWow, I think Grace made outstanding points that I would not have thought of. When she says, "Melinda dislikes imperfections, therefore, disliking herself.She tries to mask her flaws by not speaking of them." This statement is so true and applies throughout the whole novel. Melinda always thought everything she did had to be perfect and because of her insecurities that if she wasn't perfect, then she would be hated. To cover up her imperfections she would just not speak in general. By the end of the novel, Mr. Freeman taught Melinda that being perfect isn't even a good thing, and this is referring not only to herself, but to everything in life.
DeleteMr. Freeman tells Melinda that flaws are interesting because, well, flaws are interesting! Melinda and Mr. Freeman have a very close relationship in the novel, even if they aren’t constantly together, I feel as if Mr. Freeman understands Melinda better than almost any other character in the book. As many other teenage girls, and teenagers in general, Melinda sees her faults and flaws as what will be her downfall in life, and she lets you know what they are. Throughout the novel Melinda picks herself apart looking for the tiniest flaws. It is my belief that Mr. Freeman can sense this in her, and that is why he bestows this piece of knowledge upon her.
ReplyDeleteTo me, flaws are not only interesting, they are incredibly important. Flaws are what make human beings unique. If we were all perfect human beings (which by the way, don’t exist) the world would be an incredibly boring place. We would all be muscle monsters, super geniuses, and insanely compassionate. However, the problem is, we would never encounter any problems, and once in this cycle, I feel we would all fall into an endless rutt of oblivion which, to me, would be very depressing. Mr. Freeman was just trying to instill a thought into Melinda’s head that was very true, her flaws are not flaws at all, but simply what makes her who she is, and who she should be overwhelmingly proud to be.
Garrett brings up a very good point about the importance of flaws. He talks about a scenario in which everyone on Earth is “perfect.” I remember reading The Giver in middle school which comes up with another scenario for such incidences. The novel shows that perfect isn’t really perfect. The “endless rut of oblivion” that Garrett writes about really makes you stop and think what would life really be like if everyone was perfect. Garrett mentioned the word depressing, and I think I’d have to agree. That’s why flaws are interesting. They make everyone perfect in their own special way.
DeleteBy telling Melinda that “nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting,” Mr. Freeman is politely saying that perfect is boring and expected. Imagine what it would be like if people always saw, heard, touched, tasted, smelled, and learned what they expected to. Nothing would be a surprise, nothing would be interesting, and everything would be anticipated. Life would become dull. But by seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, smelling, or learning something out of the ordinary, your interest is stirred.
ReplyDeleteMr. Freeman is literally telling Melinda to create a tree that people would want to look at, not glance at. If people saw an ordinary, stereotypical “perfect tree,” they would glimpse at it and not give it the time of day. But if people were to see a tree that was unusual, one-of-a-kind, and imperfect, they would stop for a moment and study the tree. The flawed tree would catch their attention and make them think whereas the flawless tree would only receive a glance or two. Simply put, the flawed tree would be remembered; the flawless tree would be forgotten.
Literally, Mr. Freeman is talking about Melinda’s tree. Figuratively, he is talking about people and their personalities. Coming across people in life, I tend to find interest in the people who have personalities that are unique. People with ordinary, common personalities normally don’t even catch my attention. It is more enjoyable to spend time with people that will say or do something that I would not expect (to some extent). If I was hanging out with someone that says and does the same things that I do, it would be like having a conversation with myself, and where’s the fun in that? I take notice of people that accept their flaws and make the most of them because let’s be honest, who doesn't have flaws?
I agree with Antonia’s views on flaws. Everyone has flaws, and everyone makes mistakes. Perfect is boring. If someone does not have any flaws, then they are not an individual. Mr. Freeman wants the tree to be an individual tree; not like every other tree in the forest. The tree needs to reflect who Melinda is on the inside. I agree with Antonia when she says, “Coming across people in life, I tend to find interest in the people who have personalities that are unique.” I despise when people never try anything new and never attempt to have clean fun. Unique personalities ensure that people will be interesting and fun.
Delete“Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting.” Nobody is perfect. Everyone has their own personal flaws, but that is what makes you an individual. What if no one had any flaws and everyone was perfect? We would all be pretty boring people. Flaws really do make everything interesting. Mr. Freeman is telling Melinda that you don’t want to be perfect. You have to stay true to who you are and embrace all of your flaws. Even when Mr. Freeman is talking about art, he is still teaching Melinda life lessons. The tree Melinda paints in art and the damaged tree in Melinda’s yard that heals and grows symbolize the growing and healing Melinda goes through personally.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything that Nina pointed out here. No one is perfect. That is what makes us unique as people as we live our lives. Mr. Freeman actually does teach Melinda a lot of life lessons throughout the novel. When we admit that we are wrong, that is when someone admits that they have flaws without truly realizing it. That is what I like about flaws, you sometimes don’t know you have one until someone points it out, or you admitted something that can change what you know because of that single flaw.
Delete“…This looks like a tree, but an average, ordinary, everyday, boring tree…. Scar it, give it a twisted branch –perfect trees don’t exist. Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting. Be the tree.” (153). Picture a tree, a perfect tree. It stands tall and proud, the trunk is straight, no roots are visible above ground, its branches come out of the tree at 90o angles, each branch is exactly 2 feet apart lined up perfectly, and each limb of each branch follows this same pattern as well as every leaf etc. This tree is perfect, but why does it not look perfect? Now you see a new tree that is just as old and proud looking as the last one, but this one is different. It is shorter than the last tree and unlike the previous tree you see that the trunk has some twists and turns and a big knot at the bottom. It is missing a large branch that would have been the tree’s first branch about 11 feet up and just below the missing branch there is a heart carved into the trunk with a pair of initials inside that can no longer be distinguished. The tree has a bubbled kind of look that wasn’t present on the other tree and there is not pattern at all in the branches. Each branch being a new unique part of the tree and no two are exactly the same. The leaves of this tree come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, some whole and some torn. When the tree moves you are inspired because it has stories to tell, history to reveal, and it has seen so much it speaks to you. Being a person who loves nature and oddly enough has a passion for trees I particularly enjoyed this part of the book. When I see a tree I don’t see leaves and a trunk and branches I see a life and a story. For example, in the gnarled and twisted trunk I see hard times and struggles. Maybe this tree grew next to another tree that died and withered away, or maybe it had an infection. The missing branch could have been lost in that very infection or maybe it was hit by a bolt of lightning or a strong wind ripped it from the trunk or maybe it had a swing on that branch when it was younger and a very heavy person brought it down. And the carved heart may have been carved a hundred years ago. Or perhaps they were a pair of star-crossed lovers so desperate to be together that they did not take time to carve deep enough. Or the heart is more recent and the love affair did not end well and the initials were mutilated in an attempt to forget. The bubbled look could be from an infection or did the tree have an infestation of termites. Then each branch has its own story, a slip of a child’s boot in an attempt to climb higher into it reaching for the sky or a bird making its nest and raising its babies. Each leaf has a new story of trials and triumphs. This book made me see people as I see trees, but we get to tell our stories instead of showing them on our faces and bodies, although sometimes we do both. A war hero comes home without an arm and a story to tell a. A woman with stretch marks along her abdomen from a particularly painful pregnancy, a teenaged girl with cuts and scars for every painful experience that led her to the act out her pain, or a girl with cracked lips afraid to speak for fear she will be hurt again. But then there are those who choose to seem perfect and let the scars fester on the inside. Nothing is perfect. Everyone gets hurt. Life takes sudden turns and no one is immune to falling down once or twice. But flaws are interesting, they give life color and character, they make the happy girl you see today because she has decided to take what life gives her and make the best of it. Flaws are interesting, the ones you see and the intangibles. Not every scar is happy or beautiful, but they make up who someone is and that is what is beautiful. Mr. Freeman is right when he says flaws are interesting, but not in the way he means. He means that the tree is boring without a few twists and turns, but isn’t that true with everything? The ordeal that Melinda went through is horrible but it makes her who she is, how she acts, and what she does and that is beautiful.
ReplyDelete
DeleteMia did a fantastic job of explaining Mr. Freeman's words. Her large paragraph was very moving. I almost cried. Almost.
I agree with Mia that every tree, along with every human, has a story. Although every story is unique, some may. Everyone is different, and has a unique story. Yet, everyone is similar on the inside. On the outside of a tree, the bark may be smooth, rough, mangled, brown, grey, et cetera, but on the inside of trees, they all have rings. People are all different, scarred by different memories, but indeed human's flaws and differences are what makes us interesting. If every tree was a 'perfect' tree, would nature be all that beautiful? Not really. If every person looked the same and had shared all the same experiences, nobody would be interesting.
Mia made a good point when she said, “we get to tell our stories instead of showing them on our faces and bodies, although sometimes we do both.” In the novel, Mel showed her story though her art, although the stories in her artwork weren't very distinguishable. I usually tell my stories though words and by using my body and facial expressions, but Mel, who didn't speak much, or converse with people, had to find another way to express herself.
Mr. Freeman states 'Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting.' talking about the tree. He is right. Nobody and nothing is perfect. Everything has flaws, we're made up of perfect flaws. I believe he is hinting at Melinda, that her flaws make up who she is. Being too perfect is boring, but flaws make it interesting. You could glance at a perfect tree and not even think about it. However, looking at a tree with flaws could have you there thinking about it for a while. That's what he wants Melinda's trees to be like, yet she's trying to draw the perfect tree. Melinda scraps all her artwork that she finds flaws in, when Mr. Freeman thinks she's doing good. If she stopped trying so hard to make it perfect, Melinda would realize her tree is perfect the way it is, no matter the imperfection. Melinda has imperfections, but that doesn't mean she should be scrapped. I believe Mr. Freeman is trying to tell Melinda she's not perfect, but her imperfections make up who she is.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everything Anna said. Everyone’s different flaws are what make them who they are. I liked Anna’s analogy to the perfect tree and the non perfect tree. When you see a perfect tree, you don’t really stop and look at it. You just keep walking past it without a second thought. However, when you walk past a tree with many flaws, you stop and look at it. You stop and think about how it got all its flaws. I also liked when Anna said, “I believe Mr. Freeman is trying to tell Melinda she's not perfect, but her imperfections make up who she is.” It is okay to have flaws. Flaws are what make everyone who they are. No one should be ashamed of their flaws; they should embrace them and accept them. Nobody is perfect, and no one should want to be perfect. Everyone should want to be just the way they are.
DeletePerfection is the highest degree of proficiency, skill or excellence. No one is perfect. No person has the power or authority to decide whether or not you are perfect. Anything that makes us different gives us character. Can you imagine a world full of perfect people? All highly skilled and knowledgeable. The only problem, though, would be that we would have no room for improvement or growth whatsoever. If you look around you, you notice that nothing is perfect. Your room might be a disaster or a painting might be askew. In nature you will never find anything exactly the same. The clouds and trees are not perfectly symmetrical and not one snowflake is the same. All of them are unique in their own way. It is those differences that appeal to the eye. You should be proud of what makes you different, not embarrased. To be proud gives you even more character, which is more important than any physical attribute. We all need to learn to look past others imperfections and notice the true person that they are inside. Although we would all love to be perfect, we must remember that we cannot be completely perfect. We need to learn to accept our flaws and live with them.
ReplyDeleteKaija is right, no one is perfect. Mr. Freeman is telling Melinda that she shouldn't worry about her imperfections. Kaija says that "If everything is the same, then it would be boring." I totally agree with this, if no one was different then how would we be able to correct ourselves?
DeleteKaija brings up a wonderful point, perfection is boring. Aside from being near impossible to obtain, being perfect leaves you stuck in one place with no way to change or grow. A person who is perfect will never go on a life-changing trip, because any change in his or her life would cause him or her to not be perfect anymore. This person could never look at a piece of art and have a realization that this is what they want to do because he is already the glowing image of perfection. A perfect person can never change or view any point differently because he or she is stuck in perfection.
DeleteI think Mr. Freeman is implying that this concept does not just apply to just the drawing of the tree. Mr. Freeman is hinting to Melinda that she does not have to be perfect. Everyone has mistakes and tragic backstories that define who they are as a person. Melinda’s rape at this point in the book is the bain of her existence, but by the last few days of school becomes her savior. She finally comes to accept the tragedy as an event that shaped who she is today, and is able to speak and build off of it to make herself a better person. Contrarily, towards the end of the novel, Melinda discovers that trees also don’t have to be perfect. The tree is her front yard is diseased and dying, but it is still a beautiful subject. I think Mr. Freeman wants Melinda to accept that everything around her is not perfect, including herself, and never can be. From that, he wants to understand that these flaws are what make each of us unique in our own way.
ReplyDelete