Literature Analysis: Just Listen

1. Annabel Greene is the girl who has everything. At least, that's what she portrays in her modeling shoots. But Annabel's life is far from perfect. Her friendship with Sophie ended very badly, and her older sister's eating disorder is weighing down the whole family. They are really worried for her. Isolated at school and at home, Annabel kind of lays low for a while. Then she meets Owen who is an intense, music-obsessed, and determined to always tell the truth kind of guy. And with his guidance, Annabel learns to "just listen" to herself and gains the courage to speak honestly and be real. Basically Annabel is like this total social outcast because her super popular best friend hates her because she thinks that Annabel had been inappropriate with her boyfriend. Then Annabel meets this awesome guy named Owen. Owen and Annabel fall in love and tells everyone how the popular girl's boyfriend raped her.

2. In Just Listen, the themes include the importance of honesty, the value of facing conflicts rather than avoiding them, and the vast differences between appearances and reality.

3. The tone in Just Listen would be loneliness and not belonging. Annabel feels out of place at school and in her own family. She has to worry about her sisters anorexia and her family when she just wants someone to worry about her.

4. -Direct Characterization: "She is really pretty".
- Symbolism: Camera, that she was a model and realized its not what she wanted
- Irony: "I hate having my picture taken".." but you're a model". (Page 221)
-dialogue: "No offense." "It's fine." "I mean its a nice picture I just think you look better now."
- imagery: "The library carrel where I was spending my lunches was deep in the far right corner out of sight and away from most foot traffic.
- Simile: "Misplaced, only now turning up, like a sock you find long after you've assumed it was eaten by the dryer.

Characterization:
1. Sarah Dessen uses both direct and indirect characterization. Indirect characterization let the characters define themselves. Direct let the characters define each other.
-Direct Characterization
"She is really pretty."
"She's getting skinnier."
-Indirect Characterization
"It's a nice picture I just think you look better now."
"It's beautiful isn't it? there is something about snow that makes everything seem fresh and new."

2. I feel like Dessen's syntax and diction stayed the same throughout the entire book.

3. Annabel is definitely a dynamic character. She changes throughout the book but not piece by piece. She fully grows to be a better person.

4. After reading this book I do feel like I met Annabel. She was going through so much and you could just feel the pain she was going through. I felt sorry for her. As you read more into the story you can understand that things eventually get better she just needed to stop and listen to herself.