Eric DavisLiterature Circle Book:

One of the settings in Behemoth, Istanbul is a city in the Ottoman Empire, ruled by a sultan. This city is allied with “Clanker” powers, a way a life in a country that uses machines as often as possible. However, unlike other Clanker cities they still have belief in nature along with machinery.

What Istanbul resembles.

S

A “hydrogen breather” airship created by “Darwinists” which is another way of life in this story, that involves breeding species to create new animals made to do specific things to help humans. “Hydrogen Breathers” are Zeppelin-type airships that are also living creatures. The Leviathan appears as a strange mutant whale looking creature. Much of the story takes place on this ship, as this is how they cross countries.

The front of the Leviathan.

S

Alek is one of the main characters and an Austrian prince that’s parents were killed by Germans for opposing an invasion that they were going to start. Alek is a rash character who acts before he thinks, but is also very daring, and helpful to the characters around him. He has short blonde-ish hair, green eyes, and isn’t fat or thin. He is a dynamic character, learning that most people are not like in the manor, and will do anything to get what they want, and are almost always ruthless about it. As the story takes place during a war there is not really good or bad, however, Alek can be considered a protagonist because he just wants to end the war.

A symbol of Austrian royalty.

C

Deryn is a methodical person with short blonde hair and blue eyes. She dressed as a male to join the military and become an airman. She is static, but also a major/main character. Sometimes the story is told from where she is, instead of Alek, but the story is still told in first person. She is a protagonist as she tries to ensure peace. A World War 1 Emblem.

(The story is in an alternate WW1)

C

The story takes place in Europe during WW1 with strange, genetically engineered animals and heavy machinery. The 2 sides are Darwinists, people who genetically engineer animals for a lifestyle, and the other side are Clankers, who rely on their machines. Darwinist Britain has recently declared war on Clanker Germany for invading other countries. To end the war before it gets to widespread, the Leviathan goes on a flight to Istanbul to deliver a gift to the sultan to prevent the Middle East (The Ottoman Empire) from joining the war.

P

The increase of tension or action leading up to the climax (highest point of tension in a story, usually the finale) of a story.

P

The Leviathan is nearly shot down by a “testla cannon”. The Leviathan stops at Istanbul. The parade elephants are hijacked by protesters, which raise chaos in

the city. Deryn and Dr. Barlow meet the sultan. The German’s mech crushes the sultan’s gift. Alek meets Eddie Malone, an American reporter. Alek leaves Istanbul, to go to a nearby town. Alek meets Lilit, someone who will ally with him. Deryn heads out with her troops and they are captured. Deryn escapes to find Alek.

P

A makeshift testla cannon image.

The climax of a story is the moment that the story has been leading up to the entire time, is usually the finale, the moment of highest tension, and is often a showdown with the main antagonist of the story.

P

The climax of the story is when the Darwinists unleash the Behemoth to take down the biggest Ironclad (Battleship-type boats). The rebel force also cripples the cannon tower, allowing the Leviathan to escape.

P

Falling Action is when the story comes to a close, appears after climax, and can be the epilogue.

P

Leviathan rescues the rebels from the wreckage. The Leviathan’s crew reunites. Relations warm up with the Austria-Hungarians. The battle ends. The Leviathan heads to Asia.

P

What I imagine the battlefield looks like after the wreckage is cleaned up.

Darwinists vs. Clankers (Man vs. Man) The war between Darwinists and Clankers is the idea of nature vs. a life of machinery.

Revolutionaries vs. Ottoman Empire (Man vs. Society) The Ottoman Empire became ruled by a tyrannical sultan and the civilians organize a fight back.

Alek vs. The War (Man vs. Society) Since the war was started by a family feud Alek feels he should be the one to end the war.

C

Man vs. Man

How war can change someone. How Alek learns how his actions affect others, when he realizes

he and his family caused a war only he can stop. When he watched in horror as he saw the battle field torn up by

his actions.

T

The resolution is the German ironclads being destroyed and the Ottoman Empire being crippled and in no place to fight a war, leaving Germany and Austria-Hungary as the only remaining Clanker countries, also making it look like the war will end soon.

R

PROBLEM

Title

http://ronreads.com/bookreview/book-review-scott-westerfelds-behemoth/ Book CoverSettinghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/_CIpN_ydkxBI/SHC9LftufbI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/NLKkF5pEoGE/s400/domed.jpg

Domed Cityhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WfOVVSnVfqU/T93T3dC1kOI/AAAAAAAAA2M/Ti0a4aZgs0o/s1600/leviathan-scott-westerfeld-sophie-playle-blog.jpg

Leviathan ImageCharactershttp://cdn6.fotosearch.com/bthumb/CSP/CSP080/k0806118.jpg Austria Symbol http://gmic.co.uk/uploads/monthly_03_2011/post-4096-0-53139500-1299611661.jpg Emblem ImagePlothttp://www.clker.com/cliparts/d/6/9/0/1206570472506012656johnny_automatic_cannon_2.svg.hi.png

Cannonhttp://www.clker.com/cliparts/J/l/G/6/d/4/black-lightning-bolt-hi.png Lightning Boltshttp://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091007091517/half-life/en/images/1/13/

Wasteland_Airex_skybox.jpg WastelandConflicthttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-61I2l2nntNg/T0H_ZpHd6yI/AAAAAAAAIb4/kbj-pFmEh74/s1600/man+vs+man.jpg

ConflictTheme and Resolutionhttp://mouseclickerstudio.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/free_wrench_vector_art_5.png Wrench