The Theme Of Celeste's Heart And Principals And Principle

The theme of Celeste's Heart and Principals and Principles is that if your right is taken away, you have the power to fight to restore those rights. You can make a change, even if there isn’t a lasting impact. In Celeste's Heart, by Aida Bortnik, Celeste and her classmates were punished unfairly by her teacher. She knew what was happening was wrong and decided to take action. In Principals and Principles, by Daniel Handler, the author wrote about when he was in school and had to overcome evil. The students wanted to wear shorts to school but the principal announced they could no longer wear shorts to school. Daniel knew the principal could not take their right to wear shorts to school, and therefore fought back.
The fights started with both
students’ courage. Celeste first decided she was not going to accept punishment the next day. “The next time the teacher got mad in class, Celeste knew what she had to do. She didn’t lift her arm.” Knowing she could be punished further for her rebellion, Celeste proceeded to carry out her protest. She stood in the line and told the teacher why she would not lift her arm. Her bravery made the other students join in. They too put their arms down and returned to their classroom. In Daniel’s story, he was courageous when he convinced everyone in school to go against the principal’s order and wear shorts. The Principal was wicked and Daniel knew that, however he still organized the protest. Even when sent to the Principal’s office for pulling the stunt, Daniel held back his tears and fought back. Sadly, their bravery did not end in a complete success, for the teacher and principal managed to find a way to keep their power and credibility. Celeste made a change in herself during the hardship. When she refused to lift her arm, she felt a strange, burning sensation in her chest. Her heart grew and Celeste promised herself it would keep growing. Daniel made a change in his school. He gave the students courage to stand up for themselves, and proved they had a right to wear shorts. In the student pamphlet, it stated that students had the right to free dress and Daniel fought the Principal and said they had the right to free dress and short counted for that. Daniel kept pushing until the evil principal succumbed. In the end of Celeste’s Heart, Celeste’s teacher sent a note home about her bad behavior. Her teacher made sure Celeste knew her protest wasn’t appreciated and that she should be careful about what she does next time. In Daniel’s story, the principal found a loophole and changed the pamphlet the next year. Instead of giving the students the right to free dress, the pamphlet said student are obligated to dress appropriately. The downside was worth it for both Celeste and Daniel. Celeste did not have to stand in line and raise har arms for punishment and Daniel was able to wear shorts for the rest of the school year until the pamphlet was changed.
As Daniel Handler stated, “If you stand up for your rights, you can count on the fact that the wicked people will find sneaky ways to change the rules. But you should stand up for your rights anyway, because there aren’t enough sunny days in the world, and everyone should enjoy them.”