When+I+Was+a+Soldier

=When I Was a Soldier= toc

Wiki Post 3:
Why do you think memoir is important for us to read? What does memoir offer us as readers and human beings? Memoir is important for us to read for many reasons. One reason is because reading memoir is entertaining. By reading memoir, we are exposed to many people’s unique and one- of- a- kind experiences. Also, by reading memoirs, we can gain knowledge about subjects we do not know. For example, if I read a memoir based on canoeing, I would not only be able to read for pleasure, but to also learn about canoeing. Lastly and most importantly, by reading memoir, we can learn significant lessons to apply to our own lives. For instance, in the novel __When I Was a Soldier__ the main character Valerie encounters many challenges, but her strong hope and positive attitude help her through the tough times. //We// can follow Valerie’s footsteps and take the lesson to have faith and to be optimistic and apply it to our own lives. - Meredith C

Memoir is important for us to read for a couple of reasons. One, is that we can get exposed to different cultures, lifestyles, religions, and kinds of relationships that we don't know about, or haven't experienced. By learning about the way other people live their life, we can become less ignorant, and more tolerent to things that might seem unusual to us. Another, is that we can learn how to live our lives better by the experiences of the people in the memoirs. If we are faced in simlar situations as the author, then the memoir can give us ways to think of a resolution that we would normally not think of. We can also become inspired by the memoir to live our lives differently in order to become better people. And lastly, it's interesting to see the kinds of things people went through. - JoJo M. Wiki Post 2: Inspiration It really inspired me how brave Valerie was to go to the army. Although it was not her decision, she seemed calm and prepared to join Tsahal. If I had to serve in the army, I would probably complain and throw a fit! I can't imagine leaving everything behind and entering a whole new world for two years, especially when your life is on the line. Valerie is also brave when she arrives to her base. She isn't afraid of the strict officers and the harsh rules of the army. Sometimes I wish I were more brave and willing to venture outside of my "box". -Meredith C

It made me sad when Valerie went to Jean-David’s house and found out that he had a new girlfriend. This saddened me because Valerie really loved Jean-David, and she thought he loved her back. This shows that sometimes we believe truly believe things, but really the thing we believe in is not so. Many times people believe in things that don’t exist (in this case the love Jean-David had for Valerie) because they have strong hope that the thing its true. I can really feel for Valerie because this kind of situation has occurred to me before. This hurts me more than it hurts her

- JoJo M.

Wiki Post 1: Conflict
April 16, 2008: Conflict One major conflict Valerie (the narrator of the story) faces is going to the army. This is difficult for Valerie because she must leave her family, her friends and her home. Her friends help her cope with the challenge by throwing her a surprise going- away-party. Valerie knows that joining the army will change her whole life and will make her a much stronger person. Although Valerie is sad to be going to the army, her positive attitude helps raise her spirits. - Meredith C Probably the main conflict Valerie faces at this point in the story, is going into the army. Valerie is worried that she is going to lose the closeness she has with her best friends, because of the fact that they will be at different bases. She is also very nevous about the army because she doesn't know what lies ahead in her 2 year army career. It is usually uncomfortable for someone to be in a situation where they don't know anything about how their experience will turn out because of the fear that it will turn out bad. However at the same time she is excited about the army and uses her excitement to help her get through her situation. - JoJo M.

April 4, 2008 I think that the beginning of the book is really boring so far. However, I do think that it will get better as the story progresses. ~audrey a~

I think the book is very uninteresting, but I do think the story will get better, especially when the girls go to the army. Who knows what could happen while they embark on their new adventures?

- Meredith C

In my opinion, this book is sort of boring so far. Although I think that it is because the main conflict of the story is not introduced yet.

- JoJo