Perspectives through Prayers

The way Hey Nostradamus! is presented is through different perspectives. The book is divided into four parts: Cheryl, Jason, Heather and Reg. Each part tells the first hand experience they had relating to the shooting, whether they were directly or indirectly involved. The structure also varies throughout the reading because each paragraph that is divided by “* * *” is a break between thoughts, usually a flashback between past and present. As the shooting is happening during Cheryl’s part, there are also different perspectives represented in the form of other people’s prayers. After reading a few paragraphs that each start with a different salutation like “Dear God”, “Lord” and “Dear Lord”, the reader realizes that these are no longer just the prayers of Cheryl, but those of the other people in the room. These prayers show each perspective on the situation, most through panic and confusion as to why this shooting is happening and how God is not saving them.

I included this picture because I feel like it represents the questions that the Delbrook school students were asking God in their prayers during the shooting. They want to know how God could sit by and let such an awful thing happen. Maybe God stepping in to interfere was when Jason threw the rock at Mitchell, simultaneously ending the killing spree. Also, this picture relates to Hey Nostradamus! because the book is roughly based on the Columbine school shooting and the name on the school in this picture is Columbine High School.

This picture reflects how so many people would have been praying to God during the school shooting. Their prayers are portrayed in Cheryl’s part of the book while they’re being shot at in the cafeteria and not only are other students praying, but the parents and rest of the community are. I feel like this picture shows everyone coming together in a time of need to pray for the events that were unfolding.   

Picture #1 from: http://tinyurl.com/74j28ur

Picture #2 from: http://tinyurl.com/6l6f3ur