7Melanie

Invaded MELANIE STRYDER Host Resistance WANDERER: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

By Melanie Dahal

HOW EARTH HAS CHANGED SOULS

WANDERER LIVING AMONST THE HUMAN RESISTANCE

“It made me think of a human axiom, “Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile.”

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January - February 2012

CONTENTS 4

8 - 9 WHERE I’M FROM

5 THE WORLD IS OURS

10 - 11 CURRICULUM SELECTION

MONSTER Monster, by Paramore is featured in Invaded Magazine.

Monster, by Paramore is analyzed and related back to “The Host” by Stephanie Meyer. The thought behind the song is portrayed.

6 - 7 THE WORLD IS OURS

Monster, by Paramore is analyzed and related back to “The Host” by Stephanie Meyer.The poetic devices are listed, and the relation is stated.

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This week’s featured star, Wanderer, shares a poem on her life, where she is from, and how she has changed.

Invaded Magazine brings to you our featured article of the January - February edition. This article explains why“The Host” by Stephanie Meyer should not be included in the grade eight curriculum.

“ It's not the face, but the expressions on it. It's not the voice, but what they say.

It's not how you look like in that body, it's what you do with it.�

- Ian O'Shea Invaded Magazine 3

You were my conscience, so solid, now you’re like water And we started drowning, not like we’d sink any further But I let my heart go, it’s somewhere down at the bottom But I’ll get a new one and come back for the hope that you’ve stolen I’ll stop the whole world, I’ll stop the whole world From turning into a monster and eating us alive Don’t you ever wonder how we survive?

Well now that you’re gone, the world is ours I’m only human, I’ve got a skeleton in me But I’m not the villain, despite what you’re always preaching.

Call me a traitor, I’m just collecting your victims And they’re getting stronger I hear them calling.

MONSTER I’ll stop the whole world, I’ll stop the whole world From turning into a monster, and eating us alive Don’t you ever wonder how we survive?Well now that you’re gone, the world is ours Well you find your strength in solution But I liked the tension And not always knowing the answers But you’re gonna lose it, you’re gonna lose it I’ll stop the whole world, I’ll stop the whole world­­ From turning into a monster, and eating us alive Don’t you ever wonder how we survive?

Well now that you’re gone, the world.

I’ll stop the whole world, I’ll stop the whole world From turning into a monster, eating us alive Don’t you ever wonder how we survive?

Williams, Hayley and York, Taylor. “Monster.” In Transformers: Dark of the Moon. By Paramore. Rob Cavallo and Paramore. United States of America: Fueled By Ramon and Warner, 2011.

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THE WORLD IS OURS Society today is full of jealousy and anger. The song Monster really brings out the idea that society is changing into a place that is cruel, full of violence and hatred. For instance, the chorus adds, “I’ll stop the whole world, I’ll stop the whole world from turning into a monster, and eating us alive. Don’t you ever wonder how we survive?” We can conclude from this that the

author is stating that they wonder how we survive in a society so insensitive. Similarly, later in the song, the lyrics say “But I’m not the villain, despite what you’re always preaching.”

The message that is conveyed by the author here is that they want to stop the world from changing into the monster it’s becoming. Because they are trying to stop the world from changing, people believe that writer is actually the villain, when they are just using the leftover resources. Poetic language is one of the most significant parts of every song, it is how the author

“But I let my heart go, it’s somewhere down at the bottom but I’ll get a new one and come back for the hope that you’ve stolen.” “I let my heart go” and “come back for the hope that you’ve stolen” are what you could say is a reversed personification. A heart can’t really be let go of, and hope cannot be stolen. Figuratively, this is saying that the singer has let their heart, meaning their emotion and love, and that their love is gone beyond repair. It then says that they will get a new heart, which means to repair their love. The author would also repair the hope that she had lost.

“I’ll stop the whole world, I’ll stop the whole world from turning into a monster and eating us alive.” This song is exaggerating the point that society is turning into a monster, making it a hyperbole. Society really couldn’t physically eat us alive, it was said just to prove a point.

“You were my conscience, so solid, now you’re like water.” This is an example of a simile because at one point, they were their conscience, and they were very solid, always there. However, now they are like water, which is a liquid. They no longer are solid, but are flaky.

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THE WORLD IS OURS

T

he effects of the poetic devices in this song are limitless. “I’ll stop the whole world, I’ll stop the whole world from turning into a monster and eating us alive,” the hyperbole in this song brings out a strong emphasis on what is going on with the world. It was said to really

bring out the point that the world is turning into a monster, to make the listener understand what is going on. The lyrics itself almost give you a chill when you think about what is happening. “But I let my heart go, it’s somewhere down at the bottom but I’ll get a new one and come back for the hope that you’ve stolen” these lyrics really make you feel what the writer is feeling. You can feel the lost sense of hope, and the struggle to regain it. “You were my conscience, so solid, now you’re like water” this simile is in my opinion, one of the deepest poetic devices in the song. It was used to create emotion within the song, to understand how truly hurt the writer is. It is one of the lines that gives you and understanding of the change 6 Invaded Magazine

that went by, from solid to more flaky. This song really goes back to the story of “The Host,” all the remaining humans believe that Wanderer’s species are monsters for inhabiting the life on Earth, when all her kind did was stop the world from turning into a monster. In the song, this was shown through the lyrics, “but I’m not the villain, despite what you’re always preaching.” Before the souls took over Earth, the world was an almost evil place, filled with hatred, cruelty and injustice. However,

once Earth was populated by souls, society became much more gentle, there was no longer so much greed. “Something I’ve never seen in all my lives.

I’m staring at hope,” this quote was said by Wanderer, she believed that now Earth has been inhabited, it could finally become a peaceful place. She believed that there was hope for the planet after all.

“Earth is very interesting. It’s harder than any place I’ve been before. But I believe there is hope yet left for Earth” this was said by Wanderer, she believed that Earth was much harder to live in because of the intensified emotions. This relates to the song because it shows that there is still a chance to save Earth from this monstrosity, which is exactly what the writer of the song wanted to do.

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Earth has been taken over by souls, inhabiting human bodies. After a few years, only one group of humans remain; the human resistance. Melanie Stryder, one of the leaders in the human resistance, gets captured. Wanderer, one of the more experienced souls, inhabited her body. Most human souls get pushed away once a soul is placed inside the human. However, Melanie’s soul is still there, sharing the body with Wanderer.

Wanderer

Wanderer and Jared Howe 8 Invaded Magazine

Wanderer, who has lived on about 9 different planets, recently took up the challenge of inhabiting a human body. Before running away to find the last of the human resistance, including her host’s brother and best friend, Wanderer was a teacher at the university, lecture on her past experiences on various planets. Her host’s name was Melanie Stryder, however she still prefers to be known as Wanderer. The past couple months of Wanderer’s life have been very hectic. She made some time to sit down with us to talk to her about human life, friends and family.

took a while, and at first Melanie and I really didn’t get along. I was almost afraid of her, I thought that it was because of her that I couldn’t fit in with my people. However, now, Melanie and I are friends, I guess. We get along, which is nice

Q: You’ve mentioned many ti mes that you love Melanie’s brother now, why do you think that is? Is it because Melanie loved him, or do you love him separately?

Q: Do you or your people ever feel bad for taking over the inhabitants of Earth?

Q: Generally, your people are supposed to be much kinder and less harsh. However, if your seeker were to find you, what would happen? Would you be persecuted?

A: I honestly couldn’t tell you. I don’t think that this has ever happened with any other soul before.

Q: Do you regret leaving your people to live with I would probably most likely be removed from this the human resistance? body and put in another body. I may even be sent to another planet because I was unable to control A: Leaving my society was such a sudden decision, my human host. it was initiated by MelaHowever, I don’t nie’s passionate memories “Perhaps there could be no joy on this planet think I would be of Jared, her best friend, and Jaime, her brother. without an equal weight of pain to balance it out persecuted, my people are not like The humans have been on some unknown scale.” - Wanderer that. We have no much more accepting of jail system. me lately. In total, I just really haven’t had time to regret my decision.

A: It was Melanie’s vivid memories that made me first love Jaime, which made me desperately want to see him. However, now that I’ve actually met him I really feel like I’ve known him forever. He’s one of the few humans that don’t hate me, and he treats me very kindly. However, I don’t have an exact answer to this because once I move on from this body, I may not feel the same. I guess time will be the only answer.

Q: We’re all very aware that Melanie hasn’t been fully pushed away yet, and she still lives inside your mind, you’ve said that you can still hear her in, fact.

How does it feel to have someone else sharing a body with you? Would you say that you and Melanie are friends now?

A: It’s very different from the experiences I’ve had with previous hosts. It’s very strange that I can internally communicate with a whole different person! It

A: It really depends, my people really feel that it was for the best. Humans were such a brutal species, very cruel as well. This planet was one of the most beautiful, and my people felt almost as if the way they were treating it was a “waste.” I personally do regret it a little, so many people lost their families and friends. Living with the humans really showed me that they are capable of kindness, the whole race was judged by a few individuals.

Q: Does everyone at the cave fully accept you now?

Or is there still much tension between you and the humans?

A: I can’t say that everyone is fully accepting of what I am, but they do accept that I’m living here.

The humans are really split into two groups, one group that will socialize with me and the other that just refuses to acknowledge my presence. Normally, I don’t see the other group very often, and they aren’t very hostile towards me anymore. I guess you could say tht we’ve really progressed.

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Where I’m From

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I am from nine diverse planets, From the dreaded planet of fire I’m from the winds whistling whispers From the gusting biting winds, scorching dry and so harsh I am from the origin, the birthplace of souls From this glistening silver planet standing out in the universe I’m from the moist life as a frail flower A gentle breeze rocked me back and forth I am from fleeing and daring escapes From leaving my kind to live in the secluded, yet homelike cave The massive underground hole I’m from creating friendships with Jeb and Ian I am from acceptance amongst my new family From a joyous feeling of belonging I’m from the lively green and blue planet From the human I’ve inhabited I am from the experiences I’ve had and the stories I teach From the everlasting friendships with the last of the humans I am from the first place I called home I am from the discreet, hidden cave Buried deep in the sizzling hot desert I’m from the gloomy room of bars From the strong smoky odor of ashes Overpowering all other scents Invaded Magazine 11

Q

uoted from Oscar Wilde’s statement, “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” “The Host” by Stephanie Meyer tells the tale of a soul by the name of Wanderer, who takes on the strenuous job of inhabiting a human body that is trying to resist her. Melanie Stryder, who was one of the last remaining humans and is now the soul’s host, leads Wanderer to a cave that accommodates the last of the humans through a series of vivid memories. These remaining humans are known as the human resistance. At first, Wanderer is rather uncomfortable adjusting at life in the cave, however she later makes friends, finds love and feels as if she finally fits in somewhere.

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Although“The Host” kept the reader engaged throughout the book, it is my belief that it should not be included in the Grade Eight Language Arts Curriculum. I would strongly recommend this book for girls in grade eight, however I do not think that it would appeal to grade eight boys. As well, this book has no direct relation to the outside world. There is no way for us to take the information in “The Host,” and apply it to our daily lives. One of the most important reasons as to why we read is to extract the messages from that book pertaining to the real world. On top of these reasons, “The Host” is also a rather large and complex book, it may be confusing for many grade eights readers to comprehend.

Theoretically, every grade eight student in Alberta follows the Grade Eight Language Arts Curriculum. No matter race, gender, ethnicity, if you go to school in Alberta, you follow this curriculum. This means that when choosing a book mandatory for each and every grade eight student to read, the genre must appeal to all students. However, the genre of “The Host” is mainly dedicated to females. This is because male students cannot directly relate to the emotions that Wanderer is going through, which means that this book will not engross the reader for long.

This is mainly because of the fact that the romance side of this novel is a very significant part of the plot. For instance, in the book, Ian O’Shea asks Wanderer, “Why do you love him?”

Her response was, “In part because Melanie does, I can’t not love him. It’s part of the very makeup of these cells to love him.” Naturally, many males would not like the whole idea of the incorporated romance, nor would they have the patience to read through this conversation. It would not captivate their attention for long. This book is also very slow, it takes a rather long time to get to the main point of the storyline. A book every grade eight student is obliged to read cannot only hold interest to one gender, the plot must be attention-grabbing to all.

Application of moral messages from a book is one of the main reasons as to why we read. As Henry David Thoreau had stated, “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculation at a stand still.” However, if a book lacks a deeper meaning, is there even a point in reading it? Although “The Host” is filled with very rich, descriptive language, there is nothing that a student can actually take from this book that could serve a purpose in their life. Although arguable, the main purpose of school is about gaining knowledge, about preparing you for the real world. “The Host” does not fit under either of those categories, proving that there would be no benefit to include this book in the Grade Eight Language Arts Curriculum. On top of this, this book has no deeper meaning behind it, nothing that is thought provoking. There is no alternative message, no reading between the lies required. For instance, in “The Host” Wanderer states in conversation, “Anger is so ugly.”

There was no deeper meaning, nothing that would spark a thought, much less a thought. In conclusion, this book doesn’t provide a message in which readers can relate too, or apply to their daily lives and should therefore not be included in the Grade Eight Language Arts Curriculum.

At a bewildering 619 pages long, “The Host” by Stephanie Meyer may frighten many eighth grade students. Just the thought of reading such a large book could really panic a student, making them very reluctant to even read the book. This book also has a very slow and dreary start, as mentioned earlier, making that already unenthusiastic reader,

completely adverse to the whole idea of reading this book. Not only is “The Host” really extensive, it is also very complex. The vocabulary in this book is very sophisticated, much beyond the vocabulary of the average eighth grade student. However, the vocabulary used is very specific to the story. For instance, “This place was truly the highest and the lowest of all worlds, the most beautiful senses, the most exquisite emotions, the most malevolent desires, the darkest deeds. Perhaps it was meant to be so. Perhaps without the lows, the highs could not be reached.” This sentence is one of many examples of rather complicated vocabulary in “The Host.” As well, the storyline of this book is rather difficult to understand, and may require students to read over it several times. The average school year has about nine months, meaning that a novel study unit must also have a time constraint. Because of this, this book would not be very appropriate because the reader may not be able to fully understand such a convoluted book under the pressure of time.

Due to the fact that “The Host” is so puzzling, it may also be very hard to write the novel study on. Nonetheless, a novel study other people could reference too, it also may be hard for showcasing to others. As mentioned before, it is not only the complexity of this book that the student may worry students, but the length of the book also. These reasons stated above prove that “The Host” should most definitely not be included in the Grade Eight Language Arts Curriculum.

The novel study portion of the Grade Eight Language Arts Curriculum should be a compilation of enjoyable, yet at the same time, thought provoking activities. However, if the designated book was “The Host by Stephanie Meyer, it may not appeal to the interest of grade eight boys. Resulting in the overall novel study being rather tedious. As well, this book lacks a deeper message that readers can relate too, and employ to their daily lives. If this book contains no application to the real world, there is not a point in reading it, nonetheless do a novel study unit on this book. On top of these two reasons, “The Host” is a very long and challenging book, much beyond the comprehension of most grade eight students.

Grade eight students may be confounded by the very idea of reading this book.

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One Direction Presents:

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