Monday, February 9, 2009

Among the Hidden 1


33333333
The number three is used a great deal in literature. Why?

1. It is your job to find powerful, meaningful, interesting, and compelling reasons why the number three is so greatly used in literature. you must have multiple answers. Please cite useful resources for our investigation. 

2. List many examples of three being used in literature? (E.g. Three Blind Mice)

3. Based on the text, history, what you discovered during your research, why do you think the third child is the one that may not ben seen?

18 comments:

  1. 1. One reason might be that 3 is considered a magic number in Latin literature. (site) http://jstor.org/pss/282831. It also could be to balance power. (There is one smart, One tough, one smart and tough).
    2. The Three Musketeers, Goldilocks, The Three little pigs, and as it has already been said, The Three Blind Mice are all examples.
    3. The third child may not be seen because the balance or in this case inbalance of power. The older ones would represent the tougher ones that everyone sees and thinks that they are the best, but the real plan came from the younger one that does not get any credit for his idea just because he is not "tough" or in lots of cases "cool". This relates to Luke because Mark and Matt get to do everything but Luke is small and is not "as good" baecause he is not supposed to exist.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stephen I do not see how 3 is used to balence power, there is three , let's say lolipops, and two are together but then the third is left out of the two.

    ReplyDelete
  3. 1. Three is used a great deal in literature because Friday the 13th is supposivly a very unlucky day and so in some horror stories or mystery stories three is used in 13th (found from me). Also as Stephen already stated 3 is a magical number is Latin literature (site; www.jstor.org)

    2. Examples are: Three Blind Mice, Three Little Pigs, Among the Hidden (three children)and the 3rd Harry Potter book.
    3. The third child can not be seen because it is the last child the parents have had. Some people think that three is an unlucky number.

    ReplyDelete
  4. 1. The number three might be a big deal in literature because it sets up conflict. In story books, two is a pair and three is a crowd; someone will always be left out or someone might be the third to help. Also, as Stephen said, three is considered a magic number in Latin literature. Site-http://jstor.org/pss/282831.

    2. Examples of three in literature are Three Eggs and Ham, Three Musketeers, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Three Little Pigs, and like Miss Bailin said, Three Blind Mice.

    3. I think the third one may not be seen because two make a pair and the third is always in the shadow of the two. Also, when you are the youngest, people don't see you as a hero because you are small and maybe not as tough as your older siblings. In Luke's case, he is small, not supposed to exist, and has to live in the shadows of Mark and Matt.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I like all of your thoughts, I agree with them. But I have been wondering, why is three considered unlucky, if in Latin it is magic? Also I would like to add to my post to question 1. It could also be the holy trinity. Beside that it could be that some of Divici's work always come out with three.

    ReplyDelete
  6. 3 is a magical number because there is usually 2 mistakes and the last fixes it. Or there is a good an evil and a mix inbetween.

    2. three little pigs, three bears, goldilocks and the three blind mice

    3 This is because once there is two like pairs the third is just another, nothing that special so luke just lives in his brothers shadows

    ReplyDelete
  7. Stephen-Your answer gave me chills! I love how you analyzed the imbalance of power. That was quite meaningful. Wow! Excellent connection with the novel.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Devon-If you think about a scale it might help you better grasp Stephen's concept. In a scale there are two sides and a piece in the middle. I hope this visual helps, but he also states how it is an imbalance in this case.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think that the number 3 is used in literature because it is an odd number therefore making conflict. For example two is a pair and then it leaves out the number 3 and a good book always has good conflict. Also like Stephen said it is a magic number in Latin literature.

    3 little pigs
    3 blind mice
    3 bears in Golilocks
    Luke is a 3rd child
    3 musketeers

    I think that the third child can't be seen because 3 is considered a unlucky number so people think that the third child will bring bad luck to the country.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 1. 3 is used a lot in literature because it is 3 is a very popular number. It's three strikes your out, three wrongs don't make a right. You always get three chances, or three wishes from the Genie. It's a nice number, not too big not too small.

    2. 3 little pigs
    3 blind mice
    3 musketeers
    3 bears in Goldilocks
    Third child in Among the Hidden
    3 wishes in Aladdin

    3. The third child can not be seen because three is the odd number that brings bad luck. The third strike and your out. They don't want to be out so people can only have two children.

    ReplyDelete
  12. 1. I believe 3 is used a lot because its very common. Yet also as Sierra has point. 3 is an odd number and I believe teh authro uses it because Luke is the THRID child in teh family and he isnt allowed to do barely anything so the author points out 3 a lot to go along with Luke.

    2. 3 blind mice
    3 little pigs
    3 musketeers

    ReplyDelete
  13. oops. I forgot #3.

    3. I think the third child is not not allowed because 3 is an unlucky # or a cursed number shall I say. The people are afraid it will cause bad luck for their country.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Miss bailin,
    Is it just concicidene or did you purposely put only THREE questions on this post?

    ReplyDelete
  15. three is a used number because the number is just like 5, only i agree to the odd one out.

    3bears
    3blind mice
    3pigs
    3musketeers
    1 leader and 2 commmanders
    the number king Arthur has to count to when he throws the holy hand grenade(Monty Python)
    2 stepsisters and cinderella( i like the old version)
    president, first lady and vice president
    batman, nightwing and robin
    3-headed dragon\
    3steps

    ReplyDelete
  16. 3 is considered a magic # in latin literature. and mayby because of the saying, 3 times a charm.

    3 blind mice
    3 headed dog in Harry Potter named Fluffy
    3 muskiteres

    ReplyDelete
  17. more

    3 bears in goldilocks
    3 pigs in 3 little pigs
    in Aladin he gets 3 wishes
    THird children in our book

    I think its the third child because, like Courtney said, 2 makes a pair, and a 3rd child just lurks behind in the shadows. And, some people think 3 is an unlucky #.

    ReplyDelete