Phoenix Rising
English I
2nd Hour
Ms. Mooney
Molly Turnbaugh




Phoenix Rising by Karen Hesse is a frightening realistic story of heroism and sorrowful tragedy brought on by a nuclear holocaust. Hesse skillfully creates characters that are forced to deal with the constant threat of nuclear fallout. Through the use of characterization, plot, and setting Hesse reveals the horrors of life after nuclear war as well as a young girl’s struggle with death.
Hesse focuses the attention of the story on two primary characters, Nyle Sumner and Ezra Trent. Nyle is an orphan who lives with her grandma on a Vermont sheep farm. There were no physical descriptions of her as the story was told in first person. Nyle does not trust the back bedroom where both her mother and grandfather had died. When there is a nuclear explosion at a nearby plant, fifteen-year-old Ezra Trent sought refuge, along with his mother, in Nyle’s house. Ezra, who has been severely poisoned with radiation, has dark curly hair, dark blue eyes, and a tiny moon-shaped scar over his brow. Ezra struggles back to health with Nyle’s help. He described himself as a phoenix rising out of its own ashes. Nyle and Ezra became close friends, possibly even more, “I felt connected to Ezra in some way I hadn’t let myself feel in a long time, and though I liked it, deep inside I sensed its danger,” (p. 142). The danger Nyle sensed came alive as you will see in the plot.
The friendship between the two teenagers is manifested to us through the
Vividly woven plot. The story begins on Nyle’s grandma’s sheep farm in Vermont. Early in the story Hesse reveals the strife between Nyle and her neighbor, Ripley, “That boy sent my blood swarming,” (p. 6), as well as the friendship of another neighbor, Muncie, “I liked Muncie. Nobody ever bothered getting to know her. They just looked at her big head, her short arms and legs, and thought they knew everything about her,” (p. 9). When Nyle discovered that Ezra and his mother would be living in her house, in the back bedroom, she objected. She was certain Ezra would die in the back bedroom, “He will die in that room,” (p. 19). When Nyle first saw Ezra he was laying in his bed, “I don’t know what I’d expected, but the sight of that sleepless boy rattled me,” (p. 23). Nyle, starting the friendship, decided she could read to Ezra. The entire time Nyle believed Ezra would die, “My mother had died. Gramp had died… Ezra would die too,” (p.39). Nyle told Ezra about her classes and sang to him songs from chorus to try to keep him from leaving. “For almost a week the person inside Ezra’s body wandered further and further from life,” (p. 52). Finally, Ezra woke up. Few words were exchanged that first night between Nyle and Ezra but that would change. Finally Nyle believed Ezra would live, “I think you’re going to live, Ezra Trent,” (p. 62). Slowly Ezra recovered from his illness. He started using Gramp’s canes to walk. Ezra had always refused to open the window in the back bedroom for fear of ingesting additional radiation, but Nyle also helped him conquer that fear. After a large amount of snowfall, Nyle and Muncie decided to play in the snow. Ezra only let them [Mrs. Trent and Grams] open the window “after listening to [Nyle] and Muncie whooping it up all morning,” (p.80). Nyle soon helped get Ezra out of his room, “He did it to prove to [Nyle] he could,” (p.100). Soon the back bedroom transitioned into Ezra’s room, “He had completely monopolized that room,” (p. 120). Nyle got Ezra to finally go outside. When he was ready, Ezra went back to school. Nyle and Ezra worked on homework together, and even if he’d finish early, Ezra would stay while Nyle finished hers. One day when Nyle had an English assignment in which she had to write a letter to someone in history who had impacted their lives most, Ezra decided also to write a letter. When Nyle wrote about Anne Frank, Ezra seem

My bestfriend - Kaitee
My friend - got a few too many
My chatterbox - Carmen
MY drunken dance partner-
My Slave - EVERYONE!!!
♥My sugerdaddy - Huh???
My God Father - Don't know
My God Mother - Don't know
♥My Valentine - Shane
My Hot Admirer - Shane
My Messer Upper - Ava
My Cleaner - Rebecca
My Flirty friend- Harris
♥My boyfriend- Shane
My Sexy Twin - Malisa (Mally when we're together)
My blondie- Cara
My fuck buddy- Cara/Courtney
My Slut- Cara
My awesome sk8er boi- Josh
My dirty little slut- Kali
My sexual best friend- Jennifer
♥My other half- Courtney
My sex slave- Cara
My weed smokin friend- Kaleb
My bitch- Brittany
My sex bomb- Jackie
My tard- Ashlyn
My whore- Cara
♥My Prince- Shane
My drama queen- Amery
My beauty queen- Kiley
My stalker- Ashton/Megan
My drinking partner- Brett
My role model- Myself
My sex god/godess- God: Bryan Goddess: Alana
My cousin- um a bunch of them
My gangsta- Brittni
My teddy bear- Butter
♥My Husband To Be- undecided
My PlayGirl-Cara
My Charmer- Butter
My Party boy- Alex
My party girl- Clarissa
♥My everything- Shane
My Bad boii- Kaleb
My Princess- Ivorry
My Dare devil- The Summer Hill Boys
My Bebo Love- Shane
My Gossip Gal/guy- Alana
My Picture Posing Pal- Brittni
MY Adopted Family- Kaitee/Courtney/Megan/Brittany/Car
 a/Kristina
♥My Prince Charmin- Shane
My boytoy- Don't got one
My fairy god mother- Cara
My Millionaire - Bailey
My Fave Person- Shane
My Pop Star- Bailey
My Singing Bud - Megan/Kristina
My Hottie 1 - Shane
My Hottie 2 - Me

1.The way they act so innocent sometimes
2.The way they laugh
3.The way they smile
4.The way they get confused
5.The way they look into your eyes and make everything even just for a second go away
6.The way they touch you just to let you know he is there
7.The way they try to defend themselves when you tease them
8.The way he stares at you when you are walking down the hall even though his best friend is telling him the scores of last nights big game
9.The way they seem to pop out of nowhere and slip their arms around you
10.The way you fit just right in his arms
11.The way he gets embarrassed when he does something clutzy around you and tries to cover it up
12.The way they kiss you when you just had a big fight
13.The way they kiss you when your day has gone completely wrong
14.Actually just the way they kiss you
15.The way when you hug them they feel exactly like your childhood teddy bear
16.The way they can stay on the phone for hours even if he doesnt have much to say
17.The way he looks at you when he thinks you are asleep
18.The way he says "you look beautiful" even though you are just in jeans and a t-shirt
19.The way they stare at you in class and then still stare after he has gotten in trouble for not paying attention
20. The way they say "I LOVE YOU"