book 5

Everyday

by David Levithan

Discussion Leader: Sheila Almarie G. Daguman

1. If you were Rhiannon, would you also fall in love with A? Why?

=> If I were Rhiannon, I would love A because for me, love sees no boundaries. I don't care if A is a spirit and he transfers from one place to another because I love him. For me, love is love. When you love, you will love that entire person even his weaknesses and will accept that he is him and he will not change because you want him to be different. We should accept them as they accept themselves. It doesn't lessen my love for him just because he is a spirit. I love him for him; the inside of him and the physical features does not matter to me.

2. In the story, Nathan claimed that he was possessed by a devil and he is referring to A. In your opinion, is A a devil or not and why.

=> For me, A is not a devil for he did not destroy anybody's life. He just borrows a day so he can live. He did not want to possess other people's body and he cannot control his situation. He also mentioned that he is not the devil and people just accuse the devil whenever there is a bad thing that is happening. He is also not an angel or a fallen angel that was sent by God to have a mission. He is just a spirit that wants to be normal that wants to be alive.

3. If you have a life like A, would you pursue your love for somebody despite of the circumstances?

=> If I were A, I would also love someone even though I'm a spirit. For me, not being a person cannot stop me from loving someone. It doesn't mean that I'm a spirit, I'm not capable of loving someone and I should not love other people. It is okay if animals are together even they don't know what love is, then why can't I love? Love is something that I never thought I could love someone and I will never have any regrets even when I suffer. I will love that someone but I will not pursue my love because I know it is impossible.

4. In our society nowadays, is it possible that somebody like A is existing? Support your answer.

=> I really don't know what to answer in this question because this question is the same as asking if I believe in supernatural beings. Maybe there are and maybe none. If they exists or not, nobody knows.

5. Discuss the views of A and Rhiannon about love.

=> A - For A, he loves and sees no boundaries. He sees no gender when he loves. The status is not important as long as he loves that person. For me, he is a martyr for he is willing to sacrifice. He gives everything when he falls in love.

Rhiannon - She loves the outside before the inside. She sees more the physical features than the inside of that person. It is not love but only affection. She wants A to be the person that he is not.

Passage Picker: Angel May S. Bagaforo

1.      “I wake up thinking of yesterday. The joy is in remembering; the pain is in knowing that it was yesterday.”(Day 5995, Page 14)

-          A said these lines after the day he possessed Justin. This is one of those days which he prayed that he can stay on Justin’s body so he can be with Rhiannon again. He possessed the body of Leslie Long that day that he wanted to possess Justin again. He is thinking of the memory he had with Rhiannon, and he feels pain it because he knows it is now in the in the past. He wants to go back to that day because it brought so much happiness, but he cannot for it is now in the past and he can do nothing to it

-          There are memories that, when we remember, make us happy but also make us sad because we know it happened on the past. It makes us happy because that particular event happened in our lives, especially when we did not expect it to happen. The thing is it is now on the past. We cannot go back to that same event again or never will it happen again. There might be events that can happen again, but the feeling when it first occurred is not the same. We sometimes wish that may that moment can last longer or forever, but it can’t.

2.      “In my experience, desire is desire, love is love. I have never fallen in love with a gender. I have fallen for individuals.” (Day 6006, Page 47)

-          This was said by A when he was in the body of Hugo. Hugo has a boyfriend named Austin, and that day, they went to a homosexual and lesbian parade. At that time, he is bothered because of Nathan that he cannot concentrate on what is happening. He also thinks of Rhiannon. Austin notices that he is not okay that he thought Hugo will going to end their relationship by this, A realizes what he has done.

-          For A, in loving someone, gender is not important. When he loves that person, gender is not a considered. For him, love is genderless. He is a boy but he doesn’t care of the gender when he loves. He has once fall in love with a boy, Brennan, but their relationship did not continued for he can’t explain about his true identity. For him all people love the same, regardless of their gender.

3.      “Don’t look at the package. Look at what’s inside.” (Day 6025, page 88)

-          This was said by A to Rhiannon when he was on the body of Finn. He was a big fellow that Rhiannon does not like to see A on that body. A said this because he knows that the appearance is important to Rhiannon but she should also see beyond the body.

-          We should not look only to what we see, but also to its inside. What does it really means. Its deeper significance. We should not only judge a person base on what we see on him or her, we should also look at the inside. We are sometimes blinded on what we see physically that we cannot see who the person really is. Also in life, whenever there are difficulties; we should not just complain and be angry to God, but we should also understand His purpose why He made such things.

4.      “I wanted love to conquer all. But love can’t conquer anything. It can’t do anything on its own. It relies on us to do the conquering on its behalf.” (Day 6026, Page 91)

-          This was said by A after Rhiannon apologizes to him because she can’t hold on to their relationship. She said she is not the kind of girl that sees more than the physical appearance. She cannot always see A, for what she looks to the outside before the inside. Sometimes, shedoes not even look at the inside. A was in pain at that time that he wishes may Rhiannon see the real him.

-          A wants love to conquer all, especially the fear of Rhiannon towards love. He wants Rhiannon to see him, inside the body that he possesses. He wants him not to be afraid to show her love for him. But he knows that love can’t conquer anything at all. The people, who wants love to conquer all, should be the ones to conquer what love can’t. Love is just a word that it has no meaning if people are not in love. Same as love can’t conquer anything because it is just a word and the people should be the ones to overcome their fears. A wanted Rhiannon to know that they should both conquer their fears, because love cannot do anything so they should conquer it by themselves.

5.      “The past and future are what’s complicated. It’s the present that’s simple.” (Day 6033, Page 101)

-          A said this when he was in the body Alexander Lin, the boy that he wants to be. He said this because for him, at that time, the only important thing is the two of them. They pretended that they only known each other for that day so A focused only the past and he did not thought of the past or the complications of the future. He just thought of that day and no other thing.

-          Past is intangible and future is uncertain that they are complicated. We can do nothing to the both of them. But we have control of the present. Present is simple for we are living on it and it is new every day. We can still do what we want to do today even though we cannot change the past, we can still change the future. Present will eventually become our part and our future.

ð  This is the task that was assigned to me and I like what I have done for I know that I did my best in making it.

Connector: Chinny Grace G. Oraiz

I can connect the story of Everyday by David Levithan to the social film developed by Intel and Toshiba, The Beauty Inside.

The two has a similar plot. In Everyday, the story is about an undefined being named A, who wakes up every morning in a new body. Whereas the film The Beauty Inside is about a guy named Alex who also wakes up every day with a different body.

A and Alex assimilate in a sense that they both have fallen in love with a girl. In their situation of having a different body every day, it is not possible to have a real connection to the people they met or encounter because eventually they will be gone. But in their case, they got attached to the girl and been thinking about that girl every day.

So basically, Everyday is very similar to The Beauty Inside. The two are both promoting gender equality to the public and showing that gender is not an issue here. In the film, The Beauty Inside, I like the way how the creators have come up with this idea of creating a film to catch the attention of the young-adults by including the concept of social media specifically Facebook. And so does the book Everyday which captures the readers with its unique plot.

ð  I like how she connected the story even if she did not connect it to her life. It is not necessary and I really like it.

Character Captain: Cahra Kincel E. Lipay

A: He is the protagonist in the story. He is a spirit since he was born. Everyday he possess different bodies. He stays in a body in just one day. No more extensions. He possess a person with the same age as him. Moreover, he cannot choose a body to possess. Sometimes, he possess a girl.

Compassionate

A is a compassionate spirit. The evidence is the love he has for Rhiannon . He loves Rhiannon so much. He does everything just to be with the girl. Though the situation is indeed very difficult. He takes the risk and  every oppurtunity just to be with Rhiannon the girl who means a lot to him.

Optimistic

A is optimistic for he hopes that he will be together with Rhiannon. That their relationship is possible. Though he knew that it is impossible for them to be together for he is a spirit and Rhiannon is a human. The circumstance will not allow them. But still A hopes that he can be with Rhiannon the girl who makes her happy.

Kind

A is a kind spirit. The evidence is in the last part of the story when the Reverend tells him how to possess a body for a lifetime. He decides to possess Alexander for he is an ideal guy and he has a good family and a almost perfect life. But he realizes that he must not do it. For he will deprive Alexander in living his life. Though it is A's chance to have a good and happy  life.

Rhiannon: She is the girl whom A is madly inlove. He is the former girlfriend of  Justine one ofvthe bodues A has possess. She is a type of girl who views love with the great influence of physical appearance.

Compassionate

She is compassionate towards Justine for he loves Justine regardless of the pain justine brings to her.

Fool

She is somehow fool because when she was still in a relationship with Justine she became a fool. For she disregards the coldness and the mistreatment of Justine towards her. She still love Justine and hopes that their relationships will still work.

Realistic

She is realistic. The evidence is when she tells A that their relationship is not possible because A is a spirit while she is a human.

ð  I guess the captain can do more. I think there are more adjectives that she can use to describe the characters and she could have added the minor too.

Artistic Adventurer: Merwilyn P. Bagatua

A is an Everyday

Every day is a mystery

Every day is an excitement

Every day is different

Every day is just an everyday!

A exists in different body

A moves from day to day

A exists in different ways

A is just wonderfully

created!

Different body everyday

but one thing is really,

A loves one girl only,

it is his Rhiannon dearly!

ð  I also find this poem funny but meaningful. It shows the life of A. I like it.

Vocabulary Enricher: Maricris G. Santos

1. Ephemeral

Noun - Something which last for a short period of time.

= I have wandered for so long without any sense of purpose, and now this ephemeral purpose has been given to me, it feels like it has been given to me. (page 9, day 5994)

Example: Memories are sometimes ephemeral especially the unworthy ones.

2. Turrets

Noun - (architecture) a little tower frequently a merely ornamental structure at one of the corners of a building or castle.

= I see echoes of this detail now as she makes turrets bloom from her cupped hands. (page 10, day 5994)

Example: I saw many turrets in the beach.

3. Mundane

Adjective - worldly, earthly, profane, vulgar as opposed to heavenly.

= I try to hold on to as few mundane, everyday memories as possible. (page 20, day 5997)

Example: - When we die, we cannot bring our mundane treasures in heaven.

4. Amorphous

Adjective - lacking a definite form or clear shape.

= Yes, the feelings themselves were intangible, amorphous, but the cause of the feelings was a matter of chemistry, biology. (page 42, day 6005)

Example: - Water is amorphous.

5. Perilous

Adjective - dangerous

= I am hyperaware as he leaves me, as I am surrounded by other people of perilous nature of what I am attempting of the butterfly effect that threatens to flutter its wings with every interaction. (Page 65, day 6015)

Example: Wild animals are perilous for they are uncontrollable.

ð  The work of the enricher is a better than the last work. I like it.

Summarizer: Johanna Ariexia S. Quilinderino

A is an unclear being who wakes every day in another body. A is not male or female. For the purpose of the story and continuity, A is referred to as “he” throughout the novel. He is capable of thinking but he is not considered human nor demonic. A has his own memories but capable of tapping the memories and knowledge of the person’s body he is using. That means he is able to get through most days without arousing suspicion as to his presence. A doesn’t have any clue as to what’s going on with him. But what may it be, for him , it doesn’t matter. Every day he makes sure that he keeps or maintains a low profile so that it won’t affect the life of the person he inhabited.

He eludes himself from other people and avoids making real connections because he knows that tomorrow will be another life to live and another people to meet. He also feels inferior towards the word “tomorrow” for he knows that it will be a new everything for him. As time passes by he realized that people do not hop from one body to another so  he keeps a distance from the people around him in an effort to avoid the pain of losing them at the end of the day.

But when Rhiannon came, everything changed. Though in the story, A very well knows how Rhiannon loves and cares for her boyfriend Justin. Then one day, A connects with the body of Justin and got closed with Rhiannon and there, he established his feelings for her. But eventually, A confessed to her as to what really is going on. Rhiannon accepted everything but accepted the fact the she can’t truly have a normal relationship with A. Even though A goes from one body to another daily, it didn’t change his feelings towards Rhiannon. In fact, it grows more and more each day.

At the middle of the story, A has committed a mistake. There is this guy named Nathan who was inhabited by him. After the due time, A leaves Nathan’s body in the streets. Nathan woke up and had this feeling that for the past day he wasn’t in control of his body and he considered it as demonic possession. Unfortunately, A was unaware that he left his email on in Nathan’s computer so Nathan saw it and contacted A.

Realizing that he can’t give the relationship that Rhiannon deserves, A decided to do the best thing. A met a guy Alexander. He let the two meet and told Rhiannon to give Alexander the chance. Since he is a nice guy and A knows that she will be happy with him. The next day, A wakes in the body of a girl named Katie and plans to leave the area in order to fully break off contact with Rhiannon.

ð  I like the summary for it is long and it really tells the story.

Overall Comment:

I also like our performance in this last blog for we did it. Two blogs at the same time is not easy so I really appreciate all my group mates for a job really well done.