Discussion
Director- Jaydee Paid
As
to evaluate the product of our reading experiences in the book Hollow City by
Ransom Riggs, I discussed some points about the book and let the members of the
literary circle contribute and share their thoughts about the questions I have
presented.
The
questions that were facilitated in our discussion are the following: (1) What
was your impression about the coast journey of the peculiar children? Did it
appear to be interesting or a good way to start the book? (2) What was your
opinion about the hidden truths inside the “Tales of the Peculiar”? (3) Do you
think that Jacob and Emma’s feelings towards each other can still continue
despite their differences?; and (4) Discuss one of your most favorite happening
in the book and explain why do you prefer it?
Here
are their responses:
On question no. 1- The members’ answers as for my
conclusion noted that the beginning of the story started the book fine. It was
very descriptive which showed us what really happened at the start of the
story. Their coast journey was amazing and that it portrayed the triumph of the
children where they met a lot of circumstances like the storm, the escape from
the wright airships and a lot more.
On question no. 2- Some members said that the book helped
the peculiar children a lot in their journey. At first they were unaware that
the content of the tales have resemblances to their loops but as soon as they
had knowledge about it, it helped them continue their journey for at first they
have no exact knowledge where to start.
On question no. 3- The group shared their different POVs
about the question. Majority believed that Jacob and Emma can push through with
their relationship for they have given sacrifices (especially Jacob who have
left his present life to stay with Emma) to be with each other. Also, they said
that they are not different at all. They are both peculiar, it just so happen
that they came from different times but this can’t stop them from loving each
other. Some of the members responded that, it is quite unrealistic for their
love to push through. It is because Jacob can’t stay with Emma until the end
for he has a life left at the present and that no matter what happens Jacob
can’t stay with Emma in the peculiar world. But as I have ended the discussion,
the group agreed that both the characters have genuine love for each other and
that is what matters.
On question no. 4- Grace liked the part when the peculiar
children went inside the menagerie loop of Miss Wren through the stoned head of
Cruthbert as based on one of the story in the Tales of the Peculiar. She
explained that this part was one of the most mysterious parts of the book and
that she liked reading this part because it has driven her imaginations well. Ian on the other hand, liked the very
beginning of the book where the peculiar children have their journey towards
the coast of London. He said that it has an interesting exchange of scenes. Mon
preferred the part where the peculiar children found Miss Wren and when they
took shelter inside the frozen peculiar headquarters. He said that this part of
the book has the most action-filled scenes and that this part started to
conclude the mysteries discussed in the former parts of the book. Also, Hazel
preferred the part where the peculiar children met performing gypsies and where
they were almost caught by the wights. She said that in this part she was
enlightened of the history of the peculiars which she had a lot of curiosity
about. She also chose this part because it was in this part where she found the
story very interesting. Lastly, Beverly liked when the peculiar children were
snatched by the wights back at the present. She said that this part was much
unexpected and that it was filled with many questions which give her the desire
to read the third book of the series.
Vocabulary
Enhancer- Hazel Lorraine Solis
1. Craggy- (adjective) steep and rocky, and forming part of a cliff or
mountain peak
“The
only safe harbor for miles receding quickly behind us, craggy and magical”
2. Rutted- (adjective) referring to a narrow groove
“Our
goal, the rutted coast of Mainland
Wales”
3. Armada- (noun) a large fleet of ships
“It
was arrested by a vision of our little armada
from such height.”
4. Brim- (noun) the rim around the edge of a hat
“Emma, her eyes hidden beneath the brim of a sun hat”
5. Squint- (verb) to glance or look at something sideways
“Emma
squinted back toward the island.”
6. Inextricably- (adverb) impossible
to get free from
“They
were linked inextricably, he and that
island.”
7. Increments- (noun) an addition to or increase in the
amount or size of something
“Before
long the fog caught up to us. By increments
we were blinded.”
8. Eddying- (adjective) causing movement (esp. small
whirls) in a flowing stream of liquid
“We
turned circles in the eddying tide.”
9. Hull- (noun) the body of a ship
“Our
twin hulls ground to a halt in the
rocky shallows.”
10. Contraptions- (noun) a device or machine, especially
one that appears strange
“I
couldn’t take my eyes off the strange contraptions
in the sky.”
11. Surreal- (adjective) weirdly unfamiliar,
distorted, or disturbing
“There
was a surreal moment where it was no
longer the hollow who was holding Emma…”
12. Scurry- (verb) to move at a hurried pace, usually with small fast steps
“We
leapt out of the brush and scurried
after it.”
13. Seethe- (verb) be in a state of extreme emotion, especially unexpressed
anger
“I
shook with fear, seethed with anger.”
14. Prod- (verb) to encourage somebody to take action
“She
was right, but I prodded her to speak
away.”
15. Guttural- (adjective) characterized by harsh and
grating speech sounds made in the throat or toward the back of the mouth
“It’s
like some guttural outgassing, the
sounds made with something other than a throat or a mouth.”
Connector- Monlouie Sorzano
Mon connected the story to the book-based
movie, “The Mortal Instruments” by Cassandra Clare. He said he can connect “Hollow
City” by Ransom because they deal with the same points though different in plot
and setting. Both books have something to do with facing monstrous demons and
demons that live within you. Both books also have groups of young and brave
warriors who try to stop them.
Importance of
sacrifices has been pressed in both stories. They show us why it is important
to give up some things in order to better serve the greater good. In the book
Hollow City, it showed us how Jacob bravely let go of his present life just to
be with his friends and help them in their undertakings. Same with the book
Mortal Instruments, Clary, the main character of the story gave up her normal
life to discover the mysteries of her and her family’s life. Monlouie added
that they shared the same meaning towards life and towards facing your own
demons.
Passage
Picker- Beverly Asne
Beverly found some passages that
definitely teaches moral lessons:
1. “At
the heart of nature’s mystery lies another mystery” – Perplexus Anomalous
This
line is stated by Perplexus Anomalous, the great philosopher of the peculiar
world. This line as for my interpretation tells us that questions and answers
are interrelated. A mystery branches another mystery. It says that the things
in this world are connected, for a single thing that arises something could
have brought it out. That is why for every action we must evaluate their
possible causes and effects.
2. “From
the mouth of our elders comes a fountain of wisdom” – Millard Nullings
This
passage gives us the importance of the past knowledge we get from our
ancestors. These wisdoms must be preserved for they are important and they are
the timeless source of our knowledge.
3. “The
wights had mind that could reason but they use that creative faculty to
dismantle the world” – Jacob Portman
This
passage tells us the present reality of the world. We as humans (can be
referred as wights) had been given different abilities together with our
brilliant minds. But instead of using our abilities to create a safer world to
stay, we act the opposite way and try to use our abilities to stand higher than
the others. Then, collectively we slowly destroy the world where we stay. Thus
our gifts are not used for their rightful purpose but instead we use them to
gain only those things that can benefit us without looking back at the others
whom we may hurt.
4. “Don’t say things to me if you don’t mean it”
– Jacob Portman
This
line proves us the value of honesty and tactfulness. Before we start saying
things towards others we must first evaluate our thoughts and must consider the
feelings of others. We must not let out words that we don’t really mean for it
may affect our relationship among other people. We must at first be honest and
at the same time tactful of what we should say.
5. “Even
under ordinary circumstances, I still might find a way to live an extraordinary
life” – Jacob Portman
This
passage says that it does not need extraordinary events to make our life
extraordinary. If we want to live a meaningful life, it does not mean that we
must be under meaningful circumstances. That is because life must not be
dictated directly by what we meet but of what we want to be or to have in life.
It is you who control your life. Thus if you meet difficult circumstances it
must not drive us into giving up but to working hard.
6. “If
this world was dying and there was nothing to be done for it, then what was
left for me here?” – Jacob Portman
This
line delivers the distinction between pushing through and letting go of things.
If we see that there is no more meaning into something, it is practical to say
that we must not put efforts into it anymore for we already know what it will
be in the end. We must know exactly the results of our action and the things we
put our efforts into.
7. “I
don’t believe in destiny but the balance of the world. And sometimes forces
that we can’t understand intervene to tip the scales away.” – Jacob Portman
This
passage explains to us that in life, we can’t control everything thus we must
be prepared to face anything that we may meet along the way. Even though those
things may be good to us or not.
Character
Captain: Grace Mascariñas
Grace listed the main characters
found in the story and described their charcteristics strengths and many more:
1. Jacob
Portman- he is the main character and the narrator of the story. He has the
ability to see and sense hollowgast or the monsters that hunt the peculiar
children. He fell in love with Emma and the reason why he chose to leave his
life in the present and stay with the peculiar childfen
2. Emma
Bloom- she is the girl whom Jacob had fallen in love with. She has the ability
to create fire with her hands. She is a strong and determined girl who led the
peculiar children in their journey to bring Ms. Peregrine back to her human
form.
3. Bronwyn
Bruntley- she is an unusually strong girl which opposes her weak mind. She has a
kind heart and is willing to sacrifice herself just to protect her friends.
4. Millard
Nullings- he is an invisible boy who is the scholar and the brightest of all the
peculiar children. He is very witty but sometimes mischievous. He is also the
head in the planning of the peculiar children.
5. Horace
Somnusson- he is a boy who suffers visions of the future in his dreams. He is
sensitive and very vulnerable to harm. He is very concerned of his looks
especially his suit.
6. Olive
Abroholos Elephanta- she is a girl lighter than air and has the ability
to levitate. She has a very strong will and confidence despite her innocent and
immature image.
7. Enoch
O’Connor- he is a boy who can animate and bring back the dead to life for brief
periods of time. He has a very frank and straightforward attitude. He at times
becomes jealous of the Jacob and Emma’s relationship.
8. Hugh
Apiston- he has the ability to command the many bees that live inside his
stomach.
9. Alma
Lefay Peregrine- she is the headmistress of loop of the peculiar children. She has the
ability to manipulate time and to shape-shift. She is arrested in a bird form
because of their encounter with the wights and was caught but retrieved by the
peculiar children.
Summarizer- Ian Kith Parcon
Ian rfeported that the Hollow City began with the travel of the peculiar children away from their raided loop towards finding another place to stay for refuge and to aid their headmistress trapped inside the form of a bird after their last dramatic experience with the creatures whom have haunted them.
Then, it was when the children tried to find the solution to bring back
their headmistress back to human form. They have met a lot of encounters with
the creatures that hunt them. Along the way they had a lot of adventures. One
was when they went inside a menagerie loop filled with peculiar animals that
had told them that their headmistress who went to London to help some of the peculiar
children there, may help them. So as they went, they met the performing gypsies
on their way whom at first harassed them but at the end as they had the
knowledge that they share the same history, they tried to help them escape from
the wights.
Next is when they
went inside a loop where they met some peculiar persons and at last found Miss
Wren and helped them bring their headmistress back. But as the story concluded,
they have learned that the bird which they kept was not their headmistress at
all but an enemy who guised himself inside the bird’s form. Afterwhich, they
were caught up in confusion and were captivated by the creatures hunting them.
But before the story ended, some of the peculiar children managed to escape and
now with the mission to save the others and their headmistress as they were
sent forward to the present time.
Literary Artist- Monlouie Sorzano
Mon was again assigned as
literary artist since Alex, failed to perform such. Anyways, he recited to us
his self-made poem which summarizes his affection and point of view about the
book.
A
Peculiar Poem
It was as far as time can
remember
When the age of peculiarity
happened
They and their might of
thousands can conquer
The battles that was no
match, they were aged.
There was a girl whom her
fire has burned
The hollow creatures, they
were indeed hurled
Someone has the ability to
feel and see
The creatures as dark and
free.
For the bird they come into
journey
The unfathomable loops of
time they agree
The land of London they
notice
Was not fascinating as in
the stories.
Now that they already know
the mysteries
They are to choose whether
to fight or leave
They began to see the real
image
Their world was worth the
battles’ damage.
Poor little things they were
young
Of histories mistakes, were
forced to grow up
Now that both time has meet
It’s up to courage their
fights can keep.
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