The setting of "Shade's Children" is post-apocalyptic New York City, Pre-2002. New York isn't the shining metropolis some of us know, its a run-down, deserted depressing place where "the fog gained colour from the traffic lights, one of the few sets Gold-Eye had seen that still worked."(Nix 15). The place left behind after an event known only as "The Change", is a barren wasteland where nothing but the creatures created by beings called "Overlords" can survive, battling each other like gladiators in one big Colosseum, and hunting down human escapees. The Overlords use the humans to make more of the creatures, creating an atmosphere of pure depression and hopelessness."Shade's Children" could only happen in the world created by the Change because so much of the book's bedrock is the tunnels and sewers of NYC, but also the stragglers have to make do with whatever materials and tools available to them, like the railroad spike Gold-Eye uses to defend himself, in spite of the superior technology of the time. The mood of "Shade's Children" creates an atmosphere in which the only thought of the humans that are left behind is survival, to fight the monsters and escape the processing plant called the "Meat Factory", where humans are made into the creatures themselves.
A big problem that is faced by the main character, Gold-Eye, is that the overlords have gotten rid of every adult over the age of fourteen and then attempted to capture and use all of the remaining and future fourteen year old kids for their battle games. Gold-Eye, alone at first, has no idea what to do all by himself against the overlords and their monsters other than to keep running and hiding from them. For a while he has no allies and no adult guidance, which makes it difficult for him to figure out what to do and he is not able to make any sort of stable home or lifestyle for himself. Gold-Eye is essentially a lost, scared, confused and lonely child with no clue what to do other than to run and hide. He almost gets caught but is rescued by a group of rebellious children and then joins them in the struggle against the overlords. Many people would be able to relate to how Gold-Eye must have initially felt being on the run to some event in their early childhood, such as a friend of mine who recounts losing sight of their mom at the mall and being all alone and not knowing what to do. Since Gold-Eye was only around fourteen years old and was all alone in a city full of monster chasing him, he probably felt about the kind of panic as al lost child would feel: alone, scared, overpowered, and with no idea what he should do besides running and hiding such as when he found an old train but he only saw it as one thing: "just part of the fixed landscape...one of the many hiding places he moved among:.
Hello Tom. In your blog, I really liked your word choice and the connection you made about your friend losing his mom at the mall not knowing what to do. I can relate to your blog as I have thought about this topic myself when reading the book. I can recall the Chapter where Gold-Eye is trying to escape from the Trackers and he is also mentioning his own thoughts throughout the book. The connection you made about your friend losing his mom at the mall, I have actually faced that problem myself when I once got lost. I was very scared, I felt lost, confused and lonely myself. I can relate to your friend and Gold-Eye about how they would have been feeling at the times they felt scared and lost as I have experianced these myself. One question I have for you is that have you ever got into a situation like your friend and what were your thoughts and feelings? What could you have done to prevent this and how did the situation get where it did? If you were in Gold-Eye's shoes, what would you do different? Overall, I really enjoyed reading your Blog and hope there are more coming out in the future... You have some really interesting thoughts that can change someone's perspective completely.
In Shades Children, the location is New York City after the "Change", the city has been swept clean from adults and the city has been destroyed and overrun by the overlords' abominations. The mood in the story is very dark and gloomy as it is located in a destroyed city where "fog gained color from the traffic lights, one of the few sets Gold-Eye had seen that still worked."(Nix 15) and the story revolves around 4 kids and a computer man who fight the abominations. The 4 kids are very mission oriented. The setting is very significant to the story because it takes place in a place where they have limited freedom because of the overlords' rule. If this book took place in a much safer location the characters' actions would be different from how they are now and their character would be built differently. The plot would change because if the characters had more safety from the abominations they wouldn't have to make such rash decisions, and if they were in a different location but same consequence the terrain would change which would result in the change of the meat factory, submarine, and the drains if they even used them. All these things changing in location would change the paths the characters take or where they have to go on missions resulting in a change for the plot. If the location would change so would the weather conditions and if the weather went better they could have reached the Sub before it was ripped open and maybe evacuated it.
4) If you had to choose one of the characters to be your friend, who would it be and why? Is he or she like a friend you have now or have had in the past?
If I had the opportunity of being friends with someone in the Book "Shade's Children, I would be friends with Ella. I say Ella would make a good friend because she is someone you can trust to make you feel better. In the book, Ella is always there for Gold-Eye as he is a new person in their team and is young. She made him feel welcome and helped him throughout his training. If I were a new person in Shade's group, I would depend on Ella. Secondly Ella is very wise and smart. Before the team breaks into any place, she is always the first one to make the plan which all of her team-members follow and trust to be right before entering any dangerous place that could bring harm to her team. She is caring. When Drum had been left at Fort Robertson in Chapter 16, even though Shade does not allow Ella, Ninde, and Gold-Eye to rescue Drum from the Meat Factory, she keeps repeating things like "Getting Drum isn't important?" and "What about Drum?" and till the end of the Chapter she is thinking about Drum and how can the team escape and disobey Shade's orders. Eventually, Ella without hesitation of how the four might get kicked out, leads Gold-Eye and Ninde and heads out to rescue Drum. I'm not just saying that there would be a benefit of being friends with Ella, but she is someone who you can trust and depend on if you are in Drum's position.
stuff
ReplyDeleteThe setting of "Shade's Children" is post-apocalyptic New York City, Pre-2002. New York isn't the shining metropolis some of us know, its a run-down, deserted depressing place where "the fog gained colour from the traffic lights, one of the few sets Gold-Eye had seen that still worked."(Nix 15). The place left behind after an event known only as "The Change", is a barren wasteland where nothing but the creatures created by beings called "Overlords" can survive, battling each other like gladiators in one big Colosseum, and hunting down human escapees. The Overlords use the humans to make more of the creatures, creating an atmosphere of pure depression and hopelessness."Shade's Children" could only happen in the world created by the Change because so much of the book's bedrock is the tunnels and sewers of NYC, but also the stragglers have to make do with whatever materials and tools available to them, like the railroad spike Gold-Eye uses to defend himself, in spite of the superior technology of the time. The mood of "Shade's Children" creates an atmosphere in which the only thought of the humans that are left behind is survival, to fight the monsters and escape the processing plant called the "Meat Factory", where humans are made into the creatures themselves.
ReplyDeleteWho wrote this anonymous post?
DeleteA big problem that is faced by the main character, Gold-Eye, is that the overlords have gotten rid of every adult over the age of fourteen and then attempted to capture and use all of the remaining and future fourteen year old kids for their battle games. Gold-Eye, alone at first, has no idea what to do all by himself against the overlords and their monsters other than to keep running and hiding from them. For a while he has no allies and no adult guidance, which makes it difficult for him to figure out what to do and he is not able to make any sort of stable home or lifestyle for himself. Gold-Eye is essentially a lost, scared, confused and lonely child with no clue what to do other than to run and hide. He almost gets caught but is rescued by a group of rebellious children and then joins them in the struggle against the overlords. Many people would be able to relate to how Gold-Eye must have initially felt being on the run to some event in their early childhood, such as a friend of mine who recounts losing sight of their mom at the mall and being all alone and not knowing what to do. Since Gold-Eye was only around fourteen years old and was all alone in a city full of monster chasing him, he probably felt about the kind of panic as al lost child would feel: alone, scared, overpowered, and with no idea what he should do besides running and hiding such as when he found an old train but he only saw it as one thing: "just part of the fixed landscape...one of the many hiding places he moved among:.
ReplyDeleteWho wrote this anonymous post?
DeleteHello Tom. In your blog, I really liked your word choice and the connection you made about your friend losing his mom at the mall not knowing what to do. I can relate to your blog as I have thought about this topic myself when reading the book. I can recall the Chapter where Gold-Eye is trying to escape from the Trackers and he is also mentioning his own thoughts throughout the book. The connection you made about your friend losing his mom at the mall, I have actually faced that problem myself when I once got lost. I was very scared, I felt lost, confused and lonely myself. I can relate to your friend and Gold-Eye about how they would have been feeling at the times they felt scared and lost as I have experianced these myself. One question I have for you is that have you ever got into a situation like your friend and what were your thoughts and feelings? What could you have done to prevent this and how did the situation get where it did? If you were in Gold-Eye's shoes, what would you do different? Overall, I really enjoyed reading your Blog and hope there are more coming out in the future... You have some really interesting thoughts that can change someone's perspective completely.
DeleteIn Shades Children, the location is New York City after the "Change", the city has been swept clean from adults and the city has been destroyed and overrun by the overlords' abominations. The mood in the story is very dark and gloomy as it is located in a destroyed city where "fog gained color from the traffic lights, one of the few sets Gold-Eye had seen that still worked."(Nix 15) and the story revolves around 4 kids and a computer man who fight the abominations. The 4 kids are very mission oriented. The setting is very significant to the story because it takes place in a place where they have limited freedom because of the overlords' rule. If this book took place in a much safer location the characters' actions would be different from how they are now and their character would be built differently. The plot would change because if the characters had more safety from the abominations they wouldn't have to make such rash decisions, and if they were in a different location but same consequence the terrain would change which would result in the change of the meat factory, submarine, and the drains if they even used them. All these things changing in location would change the paths the characters take or where they have to go on missions resulting in a change for the plot. If the location would change so would the weather conditions and if the weather went better they could have reached the Sub before it was ripped open and maybe evacuated it.
ReplyDelete4) If you had to choose one of the characters to be your friend, who would it be and why? Is he or she like a friend you have now or have had in the past?
ReplyDeleteIf I had the opportunity of being friends with someone in the Book "Shade's Children, I would be friends with Ella. I say Ella would make a good friend because she is someone you can trust to make you feel better. In the book, Ella is always there for Gold-Eye as he is a new person in their team and is young. She made him feel welcome and helped him throughout his training. If I were a new person in Shade's group, I would depend on Ella. Secondly Ella is very wise and smart. Before the team breaks into any place, she is always the first one to make the plan which all of her team-members follow and trust to be right before entering any dangerous place that could bring harm to her team. She is caring. When Drum had been left at Fort Robertson in Chapter 16, even though Shade does not allow Ella, Ninde, and Gold-Eye to rescue Drum from the Meat Factory, she keeps repeating things like "Getting Drum isn't important?" and "What about Drum?" and till the end of the Chapter she is thinking about Drum and how can the team escape and disobey Shade's orders. Eventually, Ella without hesitation of how the four might get kicked out, leads Gold-Eye and Ninde and heads out to rescue Drum. I'm not just saying that there would be a benefit of being friends with Ella, but she is someone who you can trust and depend on if you are in Drum's position.