https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t By: Quinn Lonning en-us 2018-02-16 14:23:08 UTC 2025-07-19 13:09:55 UTC hello@padlet.com 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232335940 The nonfiction book Positive, by Paige Rawl and Ali Benjamin, describes a number of anecdotes from Paige's life growing up. Paige Rawl was born with HIV after both her parents contracted it before she was born. Unknowingly obtaining the disease and having a child led the family being to diagnosed when Paige was three years old. She has lived her whole life with HIV, through doctors visits and medications, judgment and bullying, and understanding the effects HIV pursues in a young girls life. Now, at age 23, Paige confidently shares her story of how HIV attracted bullying, depression, a suicide attempt and the road to recovery as well as explaining the importance of education on HIV and aids. 

]]> 2018-02-16 14:25:48 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232335940 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232336396 Rawl argues that bullying isn't a situation to be handled lightly and it is an easy act of kindness to befriend others rather than focus on the differences we all have.]]> 2018-02-16 14:26:32 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232336396 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232337265 Positive uses a statistical appeal by providing information that is scientifically proven, promotes helpful advice, and educates readers. For example, the beginning of the book acknowledges right away that page 263 to the end of the book states information and hotlines for those who seek help or are interested in learning more. This Appeal relates to the argument of the book because it proves that simple things, such as a phone call, can save someone's life if they have been bullied and are giving up on themselves. Statistics included in the books, such as "This year, over 13 million American kids will be bullied or cyberbullied." (Rawl 268) and that one in ten teens that are bullied attempt suicide, define the impact bullying has. The book also portrays an anecdotal appeal by describing chronological stories of significant moments in Paige's life that contributed to her experience with bullying and how it lead to depression. She uses these stories to inspire others and by describing the actions she took to prevent bullying in schools, it provides a motivation for children like her to do the same and stand up for others. It takes an emotional appeal that makes readers feel for what she felt throughout these events in her life, and make readers want to take action in preventing others from feeling this way. ]]> 2018-02-16 14:28:10 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232337265 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232362251 Parallel phrasing: Paige talks about her experience with depression and why she cut herself, and compares it to a poem she knew. Part of it is stated as "“Here is the church and here is the steeple. Here is the blade and here is my skin.” (Rawl 128) This displays significance in the book because Paige suffered from depression and explains why she decided to cut herself. This statement exposes the reality of what Paige's classmates drove her to do and represents how abhorrent bullying truly is.
Metaphor: "You have to shine your own light." (Rawl 223) This refers to the importance of making your own decisions in life as well as making the best of it. Paige includes this in the book to argue the significance of her overcoming the harshness of bullying and developing self actualization.
Fallacy: Positives argument started with a negative tone that portrayed the idea of ignoring bullying and making the readers feel as if it was the right decision for her to drop out of school to avoid her problems. The book later takes a turn and adjudicates that the true conclusion is that bullying needs to be better confronted to form a safe learning environment for all students. As Rawl describes how she truly feels about bullying, it makes readers adjust how they veiw the situation and turn to a more triumphant tone by wanting to take action. ]]> 2018-02-16 15:12:34 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232362251 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232394251 2018-02-16 16:10:18 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232394251 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232395078

Rawl, Paige, and Ali Benjamin. Positive: Surviving My Bullies, Finding Hope, and Living to Change the World: a Memoir. Harper, an Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, 2014.

“Paige Rawl, Author of ‘Positive: A Memoir.’” YouTube, 8 Mar. 2017

]]> 2018-02-16 16:11:58 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232395078 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232402173 Rawl and Benjamin take an anecdotal approach throughout this story by using Paige's point of view throughout different anecdotes and significant moments in her life. The book is organized chronologically through a first person point of view that starts off with Paige and her early life journey with HIV. When Paige started middle school she, soon learned that HIV was not a common disease, and that the little knowledge her classmates apprehended of her situation caused a mass of bullying. Later in her life, Paige uses these experiences in bullying as leverage to help others who are suffering at school. Rawls biggest accomplishment was turning her bill, which displayed an outline of how teachers are required to address bullying through set curriculum, into a law. She is determined to encourage the education system to prevent bullying in its schools, help the kids who are troubled, and address the people who are hurting others. ]]> 2018-02-16 16:26:22 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/232402173 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/233756350 2018-02-21 14:38:43 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/233756350 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/233766509 Rawl transitions throughout the book from a benevolent and ebullient tone at the start of her Middle School experience, prior to her knowledge of the impact of the disease she lives with, to a morose tone. The book overall displays an introspective tone by talking about her bullying and HIV by saying " My HIV has given me a purpose," and "It had taken me out of the smallness of the world I'd started in." (Rawl 245) Using the anecdotal approach, Rawl analyzes the important events that made up her life and used them to dig deeper into how they made her feel and how that helped her. She often related back to stories previously told in the book and analyzed how they shaped her as a person, and how bullying can be the biggest impact on kids if not confronted and evaluated. Rawl convinces readers that bullying should not be handled lightly. The ebullient tone comes from word choice such as "adored" and "enthusiasm." The morose tone appears through the word choice of "ashamed," "sobbed" and "numb." The books diction contributes to how powerful the simple act of bullying can make the most positive people become negatively influenced.]]> 2018-02-21 14:54:25 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/233766509 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234067047 "If people hate me for something that they can't even see, what chance do other kids - the ones who have things you can see - have?" (Rawl 206) ]]> 2018-02-22 03:03:46 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234067047 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234067411 "It was other people who saved me. When my journey was at its most difficult, when I was most isolated from peers, when I tried in all the worst ways to escape my loneliness, it was the people who stood by me that saved me." (Rawl 257) ]]> 2018-02-22 03:06:45 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234067411 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234067882 "It's a complicated and sometimes sad and seriously beautiful world we live in. There's plenty of work to be done. And you know what? We're all in it together." ]]> 2018-02-22 03:09:59 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234067882 19lonningq https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234068940 "Bullying is something that will stick with someone for the rest of their life, not just when it's happening." ]]> 2018-02-22 03:16:55 UTC https://padlet.com/19lonningq/7gp09gc4qm5t/wish/234068940