Comparison Essay

The novella House on Mango Street and the movie Freedom Writers differ very much to each other on the surface, but when the audience begins to analyze the film and the book, they notice how similar the two actually are. Freedom Writers is more serious, as the characters are gang members; they have been abused, shot at and have lost their friends to gang violence. Esperanza, on the other hand, has witnessed many horrifying situations, but she has not had to deal with them herself. A significant difference between the movie and the book is that the ‘freedom writers’ are all of various races - contrastingly Esperanza lives in her Latino neighborhood and solely mentions the disdain towards other races, and only one encounter is mentioned throughout the novella. An essential similarity between the two is how all the characters in Freedom Writers deal with and ‘digest’ their harsh lives by writing in their diaries, just like Esperanza. Themes are another resemblance between the movie and the book; abuse, lack of education, friendship, getting out of the ghetto, and the importance of family are all repeated numerous times throughout the book as well as the film. No matter if the characters are experiencing it first hand, or if they are just observing; the idea that living in the ghetto is a harsh life is expressed in both House on Mango Street and Freedom Writers.

One of the main characters in Freedom Writers is Eva, a Latino girl who faces many obstacles in her life. She reminds me of Esperanza, because they live in similar neighborhoods, and family is an extremely important aspect of both their lives. They are different in some ways though, mainly Eva faces more severe problems than Esperanza because she is a pugnacious member of a gang. Esperanza lives in a ghetto neighborhood and witnesses gang violence, but isn’t personally involved in it, which makes it more tolerable for the reader. She is also less mature than Eva, who understands the true meaning of things going on in her neighborhood, contrary to Esperanza who is often naïve in serious situations, and misinterprets the evil intentions of people.

The movie had a stronger impact on me – mostly because I could visually see what the characters were going through rather than imagining it. Also the difficulties they encounter are more serious than Esperanza’s – because they actually face the risk of getting shot every day by rival gangs, which is very intimidating and emotional for the viewer. Esperanza, on the other hand, only hears about those risks and observes the terrible things going on in her neighborhood, rather than experiencing them herself. This makes her issues a bit more tolerable than those of the freedom writers, and therefore the reader feels dubious about how serious her problems really are, or what it’s like for her because we don’t actually see what she has to deal with. Due to that fact, the movie had a more powerful effect on me.

There was a plethora of literary features used in House on Mango Street, and when the audience pays attention to the details in the film – they notice a few literary features there as well. Some examples would be when one character in Freedom Writers said that it was ‘raining bullets’. This is an analogy, because the character is comparing two like things – the bullets and rain, they are similar, because in this situation there were so many bullets in the air that it looked almost like rain. In House on Mango Street, every chapter is replete with literary features, like this sentence – Angel Vargas learned to fly and dropped from the sky like a sugar donut, just like a falling star, and exploded down to earth without even an “Oh.” There are two similes, a hyperbole and rhyme present in this sentence. As a reader, I thought the literary features the author used in House on Mango Street were very effective, as it makes the author’s writing unique, gives more information about the characters and helps us, as readers, visualize the setting. In the movie, the literary features were not as prominent, but they were definitely present. When the characters used literary features while speaking it made them seem more intelligent, and therefore it showed that they were learning in class, and improving their vocabulary. This enhanced the film, because the quality of their speech increasing is a nuance symbolizing the success of their teacher.

The settings in both stories are either very similar or completely different. The school is a key difference between the movie and the book. In the movie, the school is a vital setting in the story, but in the book it only plays a minor role. Esperanza attends a Catholic school for Latinos only, contrastingly the school in Freedom Writers is attended by various races and it has no religious affiliations. The neighborhoods are similar to each other because they are both ghettos, and are infamous for the gang activity taking place there. In some ways, they are very different, because the neighborhood in Freedom Writers is inhabited by various races, that all loathe each other – leading to much bloodshed - whereas Esperanza’s neighborhood houses only Latinos.

Both Freedom Writers and House on Mango Street effectively bring across the message that living in the ghetto is a cruel and unforgiving life that takes a lot of effort to get out of. In their own unique ways, the film and the novella capture the reader’s interest and teach us a lesson about how we should appreciate every moment of our lives because there are some people that are not as fortunate as us. Both the film and the book are very emotional and leave the audience with a sense of awe for the complex situations these people manage to get themselves out of.

Mistress of Rome Book Review

Mistress of Rome is an intense and fascinating book. Every chapter begins and ends enticingly and you cannot help but ‘eat’ it up. The characters are vicious, evil and mysterious, yet the author - Kate Quinn - manages to keep a light mood present throughout the book by weaving in humorous comments and welcome twists here and there. The amount of suspense the author managed to pack into these 500 odd pages is incredible. Once I pick up Mistress of Rome, I know I won’t let it out of my sight unless a natural disaster rips my hands away from the book, or dinner is served.
Mistress of Rome is written from the third person omniscient point of view. This greatly enhances the quality of the book – as the reader can see into the minds of numerous characters. If used incorrectly, this point of view could limit the suspense by giving away the characters’ intentions, but the author cleverly ends chapters and uses perfect word choice in order not to spoil anything. Kate Quinn’s first novel Mistress of Rome was inspired by her mother’s bedtime stories about Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great. She became exceedingly interested in this subject, and following her mother’s footsteps as a historian, Kate studied history in University, were she began to write Mistress of Rome.
The main character in Mistress of Rome is Thea, a Jewish girl who is handed over from slave master to slave master until she ends up in Rome serving Lepida Pollia. A few years pass of Lepida’s wicked rule over Thea. During this period, Thea’s only solace is her love – the wild gladiator – Arius the Barbarian. Lepida finds out about their affair, and as she enjoys wrecking others lives, she sells Thea to a whorehouse in the coastal city of Brundisium. Thea is heartbroken and loses her sense of direction for a few months. Her life plunges into an even steeper downward spiral as she discovers she is pregnant and will have to abandon her child. To Thea’s relief, luck is on her side and a music lover notices her talent and takes ownership of her. Thea gives birth to Arius’s son, who she is unable to get it touch with. Years pass and her music career flourishes. Meanwhile Lepida busies herself with becoming the most prominent woman in Rome, and intends to do anything it takes to catch the eye of the emperor. Thea does so first, however, and the intense hatred between the two grows and grows as they become more involved in each other’s business than they could ever have thought possible.

The tone of Mistress of Rome is very sophisticated – as it is not a book meant for teenagers, but rather for adults. It is written to entertain and is wildly successful in doing so. The theme of Thea’s helplessness is repeated throughout the book, as she continues to serve under harsh rulers and is constantly stripped of what brings her joy. Kate Quinn manages however, to keep a rather light tone throughout the book; whenever the characters lose all hope, she surprises the reader with yet another twist.
Mistress of Rome is set in the fiery, dangerous Ancient Rome where one mistake can lead to being caught in the web of murder and destruction. I recommend this book to any lover of history and romance, and if one does not feel specifically drawn to either category- I’d recommend it to them anyways! It is beautifully written and highly addictive. Mistress of Rome is an amazing book and definitely worth every minute spent reading it.

Hercule Poirot Character Analysis

Hercule Poirot is arguably the most famous fictional detective in the world. He is the protagonist in some of Agatha Christie’s world famous mystery novels. In Death on the Nile, one of Agatha Christie’s classics, Hercule Poirot faces a complicated case when a beautiful woman is murdered on their boat trip along the Nile. Poirot observes people even when he is not on a case, and so he is a natural detective. “Hercule Poirot turned his head. His gaze rested thoughtfully on Mr. Fanthorp’s back; then it shifted to the lounging figure of Mr. Ferguson who had his head thrown back and was whistling softly to himself.” (Christie 120) This passage explains how Poirot constantly observes people. He believes that the law is always to be followed, and strictly abides by it, as described in the quote, “Yes, Mademoiselle. I believe it is the unforgivable offence – to kill.”(Christie 80) Hercule Poirot is an extremely good listener, which has an effect on people that makes them confide in him, enabling him to gain more information when needed. “He was also extremely sympathetic. She found herself suddenly confiding in him her dislike of Joanna Southwood. It eased her to talk of the matter.” (Christie 136)When observing people, he never misses a thing, and even when you think he isn’t, Poirot is watching.

Hercule Poirot is a slightly comical character, being short and round. He has a sense of humor and doesn’t take life too seriously as described in this short exchange between Poirot and one of the passengers on the boat. “It’s all right, I suppose. I think Assuan’s a gloomy sort of place. The hotel’s half-empty, and everyone’s about a hundred ----“She stopped – biting her lip. Hercule Poirot’s eyes twinkled. “It is true, yes, I have one leg in the grave.” (Christie 48)This passage shows how Poirot is lighthearted and takes the comment with humor – instead of being offended. He is stubborn – when he has set his mind on something, nothing can change his views. “You will act for me?” “No, Madame.” His tone was firm “I will not accept a commission from you….”But you will not act for me?” “No, Madame.” (Christie 74) In this passage, Poirot has decided he will not work for her, and not even her promise of a large sum of money could change his mind. Poirot also has very keen eyesight, “Hercule Poirot looked round sharply.” (Christie 81) He is used to a life of luxury, and his successful carrier has made him slightly arrogant over the years. “I am not a middle man. I am a top man,” declared Hercule Poirot with slight arrogance.’ (Christie 123) Poirot also has style, as his attire is always well kept and of obvious luxury, “He was dressed in a white suit, pink shirt, large black bow tie and a white topee.“ (Christie 114) Hercule Poirot is a gentleman and always polite, not matter the situation. For example, Poirot has just told the famous novelist on board that he does not like to read novels but when she offers him a complimentary copy he politely obliges, “That is most kind of you Madame. I will read it with pleasure.” (Christie 59) Poirot is a devout Catholic, and is used to his routines. His mustache is always kept up to perfection, he will only eat two boiled eggs if they are exactly the same height, and he is suits are always pressed. “He wore a white silk suit, carefully pressed, and a panama hat and carried a highly ornamental fly whisk with a sham amber handle.”(Christie 48)

Poirot is not necessarily very modest about his success, and is even slightly hurt when someone does not seem to recognize him. Most people do, however, recognize him and he is a much respected man in society. One of the passengers on the boat, Mrs. Van Schuyler, who is an aristocratic lady that only converses with few, exclusive people on the boat who she feels deserve her attention – Mr. Poirot turns out to be one of these ‘deserving’ people. At the beginning of the book, when everyone began to get to know each other, everyone on the boat was aware of the ‘celebrity’ on board – the famous detective, Poirot is a genius Belgian detective, with his meticulously kept moustache and perfectionist personality it is always a welcome surprise when he manages to solve yet another baffling mystery.

The Mockingjay Reading Log

The Mockingjay is the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. Katniss Everdeen is the main character in all three books, and the main plot line is that she lives in a fictional future world that is controlled by the capitol – where all the rich people live, and the surrounding districts are kept under strict rule. Almost everyone in these twelve districts is poor, and each district is specialized in one specific kind of work – once you’re born in a specific district, you are forced to do that kind of work your whole life. Once every year, two people from each district-one boy and one girl-are forced to participate in the Hunger Games. This is the main source of entertainment for the capitol, and for the participants it is exactly the opposite, because you win the games by being the last one alive. Katniss’s little sister is chosen for district twelve and everyone knows her sister has no chance to win, so Katniss takes her place. She wins the games with the other boy from her district, Peeta and it is the first time in history that two people win. Then, the next year – there is a special hunger games were the people that are chosen have all won the hunger games before. From district twelve, only three people have ever won – and Peeta and Katniss are chosen again. During these hunger games the big rebellion is started, and everyone in the games escapes. This is the second time in history that the districts have an uprising against the capitol. The first time they lost and the hunger games were introduced to remind them that the capitol completely rules over them. This time, they plan on actually beating the capitol, and Katniss is the hero of the rebels – also called ‘The Mockingjay’. This book is about the rebellion.

I have not reached the middle of the book yet, but until now the book has been very enticing. Its beginning was not too promising, but soon after it got very suspenseful. The Hunger Games was an amazing book, then the second book was quite a disappointment, and now I am hoping the third one will live up to my expectations once again. At the part of the book I have reached Katniss lives in the long lost thirteenth district that is thought to be completely wiped out – but has become the center of activities for the rebellion. Everyone lives underground under a meticulous and strict rule by their government. Today while reading, I vividly imagined one specific part of the book. At that part, a guard is hindering Katniss and her friend, Gale, from entering a hallway that is supposed to be open to the public. Katniss has a feeling that something is wrong, and so Gale distracts the guard and Katniss sneaks into the room they wanted to get into in the first place. There, Katniss’s only friends from the capitol, her stylists from the hunger games, are taken hostage, and are the victims of severe beatings. That part of the book was described in a really suspenseful way, and the whole time I wanted to know really badly what was going on behind the door. I could perfectly imagine the meticulous white and grey hallways, and the strange, stale smell that the author describes coming from that one room. I almost had a little video clip playing in my head of the scene.

In the previous book, Peeta is taken hostage, and the first time Katniss sees him again is at the beginning of The Mockingjay. He is being interviewed in the capitol, and Katniss is elated to see him alive - she wasn’t sure where he was, let alone if he was alive. Still, during the interview, Peeta says some very controversial things, and suddenly all the rebels, save Katniss, are completely against him. At that part, I completely understand Peeta. He says that both the rebels and the capitol should stop their fighting, and instead they should all calm down. The rebels are extremely mad about that because it shows Peeta has no faith in them for winning, and also if they do get rid of their plans, the capitol would rule over them stricter than ever, making the whole situation much worse. I can still relate with Peeta though, because President Snow, the leader of the capitol, probably forced him to say those things, and by forced I mean tortured or beat. All the rebels are just blinded by their sudden hate; otherwise they would understand him as well. Katniss has the same opinion as me, and she gives a speech directed at the leader of the rebels, saying that she will only keep being ‘The Mockingjay’ if after the war they pardon Peeta for being a traitor – which is what they now call him. I don’t understand how the capitol has not yet realized that all the rebels are hiding in district thirteen. The rebels that were not caught by the capitol after the previous games all escaped in vehicles that managed to escape the capitol’s grasps. The capitol is strictly ruling over all the districts, so they know that the rebels aren’t there, and so they must realize that they went somewhere else. The only other place they could have gone is district thirteen, or in the middle of the woods, but judging by the amount of people that escaped, it would have been really hard to successfully hideaway in the woods without getting noticed. I think that means either the author’s logic is faulty, or the capitol has noticed, and they will attack district thirteen.

This book’s setting and plot is like nothing I have ever experienced in my life, so I can’t say that I really connect with any part of the book up to now. I can relate to some characters feelings at certain parts of the book, but overall they are dealing with problems that I have never dealt with. Some examples of their problems are: having to kill people, going to war, and having to make decisions that could lead to their friends and family getting killed. I have thankfully never had to deal with problems like these, and so I cannot say that I have had similar experiences to the characters. Of course some simple experiences like wanting to go outside and breathing fresh air after staying inside (or in their case underground) for a long time, I can relate to. I hate it when I have a lot of work to do on the computer for school which leads to me having to stay inside for a whole day. The characters in the book stay inside for weeks, so I can only imagine to what extent they want to go outside and just relax. The author effectively uses lots of imagery in the book, to portray all the complicated situations the characters find themselves in. I can perfectly imagine Katniss’s surroundings as well as feelings due to the phenomenal use of imagery. That is the main reason why I enjoy reading this book, the author manages to perfectly describe the various situations of the characters to the extent were I have Katniss’s whole world worked out in my mind. With the help of imagery making this fictional world feel more believable, I think the author has always stayed true to the general plotline, and has made it very believable. Apart from the one fault that I have described earlier – the fact that the capitol would have realized that the rebels have set up their center in district thirteen – I think the whole book is very believable, and none of the twists in the plotline so far have been exaggerated to the extent of ridiculousness.

I love the way that Katniss thinks, she has a very rational and calm way of thinking, and she reacts this way to any situation thrown at her. I appreciate her being so down to earth, and her love of simplicity is refreshing. I would love to be her friend, because she is very loyal to the people close to her, and she always thinks how her actions can benefit others. Today while reading, my conclusions about Katniss have all been proven to be correct once again, and while I wouldn’t say she is predictable, she definitely is a consistent character. Her manner has always been the same in all three books of the series. Not just Katniss, but lots of other characters have stayed true to their intentions throughout this trilogy. The Mockingjay is a very unique book, in a unique series, so I couldn’t say that it greatly relates to previously read books. Of course some aspects are repeated in other works of literature as well, such as the man vs. self theme. Katniss often struggles with herself, and with previous decisions of hers, much like Sam, the main character in Before I Fall, a book I recently read. Sam also struggles with previous decisions, and is forced to relive the same day over and over again until she finally makes the right choices.

In the next section I read, I think the minor battles will all be in full swing, and I believe someone on Katniss’s side might get attacked – which will spark the fire of a full-on-rebellion. I believe that someone who is not careful enough in concealing their hiding place in district thirteen will give them away, and therefore cause this attack. If I could jump into the book, I would like to get there before the real war starts. I would enjoy seeing the way the people live in district thirteen, because I have never seen anything like it – the people live completely underground, and they’re not even deprived of space – meaning that the area must be absolutely huge. The underground area in district thirteen holds an armory, a place where food is grown, a science lab, a cafeteria, a huge auditorium that fits thousands of people, many sleeping quarters, spaces that store airplanes, etc. I would go check out the way they live in their sleeping quarter and I would love to see the armory – where they keep all the weapons. I am not a weapon fanatic by any means, but the way the armory is described in the book seems absolutely unreal and amazing. It is a huge space filled with the latest technology created by a scientific genius. What this technology is capable of just blows me away. Some settings in the book, like the armory, are like nothing I have ever seen, but other places, such as the forest where Katniss likes to hunt, I can relate rather easily to places I’ve been. She hunted near a spring, and there were flowers and lots of tall trees, which is like Yellowstone National Park. When the author started describing that place, I immediately thought of Yellowstone, and I imagined the whole scene going on there. Yellowstone is known for its beautiful nature, and Katniss’s forest sounded almost enchanting as well.

This book has been written extremely well until now; I can only hope that it continues in the same fashion!

Reading Log #1 Before I Fall

The book, Before I Fall takes place in a small town in Connecticut. Sam, or Samantha, is the typical ‘cool’ girl. Her and her friends, Ally, Elody and Lindsay make fun of the outsiders in school, and they can do whatever they want, because no matter what they do they’ll always be part of the ‘cool’ crowd. One of those ‘outsiders’ in school is Kent – who Sam actually falls in love with throughout the book - and I would like to be friends with him because he doesn’t care what other people think, he just does his own thing – and he never stops smiling while doing it. I would really like to be friends with him, because maybe he could teach me how to gain that much confidence. On their way home one day from just another party, Lindsay’s cigarette bud falls onto her leg – and in an instance she loses control of the car. The next thing Sam realizes is Lindsay screaming something, and then suddenly she remembers just one thing. One day in third grade, Sam and Lindsay were picking on this girl for wearing weird clothes, and the girl’s face turned purple with rage. Sam thinks of how weird it is that she just thought of that one scene in her life so long ago, when she wakes up to the sound of her alarm clock. Sam sits up in bed – surprised at how incredibly vivid her dream was, and notices that the date is what it was ‘yesterday’. After going through the day exactly how it was in her dream, Sam realizes that she is stuck with reliving that one day over and over again. She comes to the conclusion that she must be lying in a coma in some hospital. The book describes Sam’s journey of trying to relive that one day correctly so she can finally ‘wake up’ in a hospital…because she’s in a coma…isn’t she?
When I was reading, I could clearly visualize the scene when Sam wakes up in her bed, and her little sister runs up to her and gives her a hug, and speaks to her with a really cute lisp. The author used a lot of imagery to describe this particular scene, and I can perfectly imagine how her little sister speaks, and the too small pajamas she always wears, and how she clings to Sam’s neck like she’s never going to let go. Even though this story plays in a typical high school, I have trouble really connecting with any characters in the story, of course I can relate to some minor scenes – but not the characters themselves. I think that is because the author has created characters that are very contrasting to each other – so they all have very extreme characters. The character I could still relate to the most is Sam; she tries to make the best of the days that she has left, because she slowly comes to terms with the fact that she might be dead, instead of in a coma. I know how that feels, of course not the extreme extent that Sam must be feeling it with, but I know what it’s like to try and make the best of the time you have left with certain people, and that it feels like time is trying to go faster on purpose just when you are trying to make it last. When I leave a place to go move somewhere new, I have to say goodbye to my friends, and I know I won’t be able to see them for a few more years. Sam feels that just like me – but in a much more severe way. There are a lot of parts in the book when the author describes how Sam and her friends make fun of some ‘losers’ in their school, since I have never been in a school with real ‘cliques’, I don’t know what it is like to be in a situation like that. Some characters are described as being really very mean, and they do horrible things to the other characters. To me that is just foreign, because I have never really experienced someone ganging up on someone else that much.
Apart from imagery, the author also uses a lot of foreshadowing. Since Sam doesn’t know for sure how much time she has left in the world, she tries to cram in as many good deeds as she possibly can. The author uses foreshadowing to hint at which activities Sam will do next. For example, the author actually uses alliteration to exaggerate the scenes when Sam sees her little sister, because it is described in detail what emotion and sadness Sam feels, and how strongly she is going to miss her sister. That hints to the reader that Sam will definitely do something memorable with her in the time she has left. Even though the whole book is fiction, and the idea of coming back to life is not possible, the fact that the characters are down to earth add a lot of realistic elements to the book. I think the plot is actually believable, because Sam’s decisions are not perfect, but absolutely realistic, and also the setting of the book is just like any other town – all of this together makes the book believable despite the fact that it is fiction. There are other fictional books with completely unrealistic ideas – like coming back to life – that are still written in a realistic and believable way, for example the Twilight series. In the Twilight books, the idea of werewolves and vampires is completely foreign and unrealistic, but still overall the books are in a real setting and the characters have believable personalities and qualities.
At the part in the book I’m at right now, Sam has come to the conclusion that she really is dead, but she has to finish off her life in a positive way, so she’s just trying to figure out how. I have an idea how she will accomplish that, and up to now she seems to be following a similar plan. I think that she will definitely figure out what the ‘right’ way is to end her life – and I think it will have something to do with saving the life of this other girl in the book that is on the verge of killing herself. She keeps on trying to save the girl – but the girl always succeeds in killing herself despite Sam’s best efforts. I have a feeling that the only way Sam will succeed is to throw herself between the car and the girl – thereby pushing the girl out of the way, but also forcing Sam to put all her faith into her theory of already being dead. If I could jump into the story right now – I would like to witness not a main scene, but rather one insignificant scene were Sam is standing outside in her garden, looking at the sky – and it’s snowing. I absolutely love it when it snows, because the whole world seems to become quiet as the snowflakes drift down from the sky, so I would really enjoy the wonderful simplicity of being able to stand outside in the snow. That scene reminds me of my garden in my house in Austria, because my family and I always go there in the winter, so I automatically associate snow with it. The whole book is written with a lot of detail, and it keeps the reader entertained with its unique story line.

The Pearl Prompt

Our lives are ruled by fate, no matter what decisions we take, our lives are already planned out for us:

I completely disagree with this statement. Every person can make their own decisions, no matter if that means making mistakes, or doing the right thing. Fate plays a role in no one’s life. Some people think fate exists, for example in the statement, ‘what goes around comes around’. That might be true, but not because of fate. When someone does something unforgivable to someone else, it will always haunt them. For that reason, they will become nervous, or insecure, and in the end they will be the reason for paying for their mistakes, and not anyone, or anything, else. You yourself are the leading figure in your life, not fate.

Sometimes Winning the Lottery is a Bad Thing:

Sometimes winning the lottery can really be a bad thing. A person that hasn’t done any work, or anything positive in life to deserve it can win the lottery. When that happens, they can lean back and enjoy life, while other people are working hard every day just to be in the same situation. People like that are really taking advantage of the lottery, and it’s not a good thing. People like that don’t have any experience in handling money, and they might waste it all. Also, people who suddenly get rocketed to a much higher level of lifestyle often can’t manage, and they might lose their place in life. Winning the lottery can often be a bad thing.

Family is the most important thing in life:

I completely agree with this statement. When saying that family is the most important aspect in your life, you are not necessarily saying that friends and your social life are not important either. Family is just so important, because to be confident in life you need to grow up in a positive environment – a good family. Everyone makes mistakes, but sometimes having a great family can teach you a lesson in a different way rather than by making a mistake. There are many situations were people don’t grow up with a good family, but still end up happy, a supportive family would just have made that person be happy earlier on in life. Family is extremely important when trying to live life to its fullest.

Rohypnol Drug - Health Class

Rohypnol
Maggie Weiss


Street names: Date rape drug, La roche, R2, Rib, Roach, Roofenol, Roofies, Rope, Rophies, Ruffies, The Forget Pill.
Drug Classification: It is a hypnotic.
How it is used: It is swallowed as a pill, dissolved in a drink or snorted. It is also used to enhance a heroin high or to ease coming down from a cocaine or crack high.
Length of effects: It creates sleepy, relaxed and drunk feeling for 2 to 8 hours.
Physical Effects: It can produce physical dependence.Also it can cause dizziness, blackouts, complete loss of memory, disorientation, nausea, and difficulty with speaking.
Psychological Effects: It can produce psychological dependence. It can cause similar psychological effects to Valium, but they are approximately 10 times more potent. Concerns include that it is a date rape drug; it is very effective because it has no taste or odor, so the victims are not conscious of the situation they are in.
Other Interesting Facts: It is not legal in the USA, but it is legally a prescription drug (mostly for insomnia) in Europe and Latin America, so it is often smuggled into the USA via mail and other delivery services.

Rohypnol, like all other drugs, can cause tremendous damage.