Book Report: Green Angel Essay Example

Scholastic Paperbacks Date of Publication: October 2003 Number of Pages: 116 Pages SummaryGreen is a quiet, pretty, and shy 15-year-old girl, who is approaching her 16th birthday. She lives with her mother, father, and sister. Aurora, in a house on the farm or garden near the city. While her sister is wild, careless, and impatient, Green is shy (often not talking to people outside of her family), and has the infinite patience required to tend to the family garden. After mastering the art of tending the garden, she becomes the garden’s main caretaker. One day, her family goes to a nearby city to sell produce, leaving Green behind to pull the weeds.

While in town, her family perishes in the city as a result of a conflagration supposedly let off by some of the city's residents for unknown reasons. Many of the people in the city that day die, leaving many orphans Green's age. Ashes from the fire blind Green and singe her hair, forcing Green to cut her hair off. Green, deeply hurt, changes her appearance and personality and names herself Ash as she decides to destroy all her past to conceal the pain she is suffering. To conceal her internal pain, she tattoos almost her entire body as the story progresses.She continues to suffer but grows indifferent toward her pain.

Over time, through interactions with several kinds of animals, a boy she calls Diamond and a kind, old neighbor, Green starts to heal. She finds her leaf and stem tattoos turning green and rosebuds turning red. Finally, on her 16th-birthday, she is no longer Ash, as she once used to be, but is once

again Green. Now, after her recovery, she is strong enough to tell her family’s tragic story. Characterizations Green The protagonist (after the fire and before healing, she refers to herself as Ash).Green has long dark hair and describes herself as preferring plants to people.

She tends to the family garden and knows the medical uses for many plants. As Ash she cuts off her hair and wears a scarf of thorns, a heavy jacket, and her father's nail-studded boots. Also, she often tattoos herself with needles and ink. Eventually her entire body is covered in black roses, vines, ravens, etc.

The old woman tells her to look closer and she discovers the ink is actually green. The tattoos begin to change color, the flowers becoming white with green centers (as they are in her dreams).The half-heart near her own heart turns red at the center. Aurora Green's sister, who visits Green in dreams. Aurora seemed to be Green's opposite, a young girl who was outgoing and cheerful. She often danced in the moonlight, and would sleep in a corner where white moths hovered over her.

In Green's dreams she sometimes appears as an older version (about Green's age) of herself, but Green comes to realize Aurora will never be any older.She accepts Aurora's death, and the loss of her family. In Green's dreams Aurora sometimes wouldn't recognize her (this was only when she became Ash). Mother and Father, Green's parents Green's parents die in the fire. The story doesn't talk about them in detail as it does with Aurora. Green's father was "honest and strong" and her mother was gentle and "collected blue jay feathers,

preferring them to her pearls.

" Old Woman Green's neighbor who helps Green to heal. Aurora and Green used to steal apples from this old woman.Green assumes the woman hates her, but in reality she doesn't. Green begins cleaning up the old woman's house.

Each time she visits the woman asks her what her name is. On every occasion except the last, she replies that her name is Ash. As Green walks home each time she senses something (the taste of an apple, the smell of cut grass, etc. ) that reminds her of the color green, and therefore her name.

Diamond Green's friend who helps Green to heal. Diamond is a boy who comes to Green's house one day. He's one of the few people Green trusts.He is very silent, but Green seems to understand him perfectly. He eventually leaves to search for his mother. She was in the fire, but he doesn't believe she is dead.

Green knows that she's in love with Diamond, but understands that he needs to leave. He has the other half of Green's half-heart tattoo. Heather Jones n Green's former classmate. Heather joins a group of teens who are determined to forget everything that happened in the fire. These teens’ drink, steal (they take everything from Green's garden) and dance around a fire at night.

However, it becomes clear Heather can't manage this and she continually declines in appearance and personality throughout the book. The white dress she wears turns to gray. Green was once jealous of Heather and that beautiful dress, but realizes Heather isn't better than her. She gives Heather an old dress that was her mother's.

Shortly after, Green and the other teenagers realize that Heather is missing so they start to look for her.

Later some of the teenagers said that she drifted into the fire. They all had to accept that Heather was gone, who left memories behind. Critical Analysis Own endingBecause of love that green had felt, she began expressing her self and that’s the way she realize that she needs to free her past by telling what really happened to her and to her family. Diamond tells green what he really feels to her. They became couples and live happily and free from pain that green suffered. Evaluation The story is full of moral values and it symbolizes good examples to the readers.

This fairy tale story is for adults and children that is most heart-breaking tale filled with echoes of loss and courage. Quotation “Love makes a person complete, it makes one feeling free”.Unlocking of difficult words Clutch- To seize with or as with the hands or claws; snatch: Ex. The bird swooped down and clutched its prey with its claws. Dizzy - Having a sensation of whirling and a tendency to fall; giddy; vertiginous.

Bewildered; confused. Causing giddiness or confusion. Ex. A dizzy height.

Embers- Noun: A small live piece of coal, wood, etc. , as in a dying fire. Ex. Embers, the smoldering remains of a fire.

Fledglings Adjective: Young, new, or inexperienced. Ex. A fledgling diver. Fox-gloveNoun: any Eurasian plant belonging to the genus Digitalis, of the figwort family, esp. D. purpurea, having drooping, tubular, purple or white flowers on tall spikes, and leaves that are the source of digitalis in medicine.

Ex.

Green’s favorite flower is a Fox-glove. Greedy Adjective, greed•i•er, greed•i•est. excessively or inordinately desirous of wealth, profit, etc. ; avaricious: the greedy owners of the company.

Ex. Greedy for praise. Greyhounds Noun: one of a breed of tall, slender, short-haired dogs, noted for its keen sight and swiftness. Ex. I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips.Lurking Verb (used without object): To lie or wait in concealment, as a person in ambush; remain in or around a place secretly or furtively.

Ex. A lurking shape half concealed in the shadows Paw - Noun: the foot of an animal having claws. The foot of any animal. Ex. Keep your paws off my property.

Shawl - Noun: A square, triangular, or oblong piece of wool or other material worn, esp. by women, about the shoulders, or the head and shoulders, in place of a coat or hat outdoors, and indoors as protection against chill or dampness. Ex. it was a sign of gentility to wear a shawl gracefully.