Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Reading Reflection: Rowlandson

The Puritans were a group of Protestants who came from England to North America in search of religious freedoms. They obviously had a strong basis on faith, and it showed in their writings. In the first few lines of the Rowlandson memoir, a figure from the bible was mentioned. She referred to a quote that Job said in the bible (Rowlandson 82). Rowlandson also mentions how bitter and tough her journey was, but that God was with her to guide her (Rowlandson 83). She also mentioned that when her child died, God was with her to give her strength (Rowlandson 83). Rowlandson mentioned that she would not use "wicked and harmful" means to end her life. Religious people know that suicide is a sin that cannot ever be forgiven, so that is just another example of religion. Through out Rowlandson's entire story she lost a child and was even sold for almost nothing. Yet somehow, she still seemed to find some good in the whole ordeal through God. Bradstreet takes a similar approach as Rowlandson. In her poem, she tells of how she came to terms with the loss of her house. She said that the fire was God's will to get her to focus less on earthly possessions. God was a huge aspect of Puritan writing.

One aspect of Puritan writing may have included the Native American's hostility. Who could blame them anyways? I'm sure the Indians were not happy at all. First, the Spanish come and explore the new land and decide that they can take whatever they want from the Indians. Of course the Indians aren't going to let the Puritians do whatever they want. The Puritians probably wrote about Native American hostility because they were shocked when they came to the new land. They left their countries in search of religious freedom, but all they found were cranky Indians.

I found it interesting that both authors were women. At the time, you wouldn't picture a woman writing a book or a poem, let alone getting it published. That may have had to do with the fact that they were Puritans. They didn't conform to the typical rules of society, which was part of the reason that they left. I also found it interesting that both stories were based off factual events. Pruitians may have mainly written about events that really happened because they were effected by God. They were kind of like testimonials for how great God is. They wrote about the actual ways that God influenced their lives so that people would hear their stories and feel the same way.

Both women had to overcome some pretty steep obstacles in their lives. Rowlandson was kidnapped (or captured) by indians and Bradstreet lost her home in a fire. That message can translate into what all Puritians were going through. They moved to America to have an easier life, but at first they had some struggles. They were able to translate that through their writing, and both Bradstreet and Rowlandson were able to communicate their troubles.

Bradstreet, Anne. "Upon the Burning House." Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009.

Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of Capitivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Journal #2 - Hospitality

Once upon a time, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a zebra. This was no ordinary zebra. This zebra was the most stylish zebra in all of the land. He wore the newest, trendiest clothes, and had the best hair style around. He wore jewelry and even wore sunglasses in the dark. This zebra was "the man." One day, the zebra went to the mall to pick up his new shoes. These were no ordinary shoes either. These shoes were the newest, coolest shoes on the market, and because the zebra was so stylish, he just had to have them. They were bright pink and green, and all the cool animals in the kingdom had them. Since zebra was a biter, he had to have them.
As soon as the zebra got his new shoes, he never wanted to take them off. He wore them everywhere. He even wore them to bed! The zebra was so excited when he got his new shoes that he wanted to show everyone. He decided to go show his friend lion his new shoes.
When he got to lion's house, he was so excited to show his friend that he didn't think to take off his shoes before running through loin's house. At zebra's house, he could wear his new shoes where ever he wanted to because he thought they were so cool. At lion's house, however, the rules were very different. Lion's mother had just spent the day planting new flowers outside the house, and on his way in, zebra walked right through a big pile of dirt. Zebra didn't notice until after he had done it, but he had tracked mud all through lion's house. He was so embarrassed, and he apologized to lion's mother. He did not mean to cause a mess, but because he didn't think about his household manners, he ended up causing lion's mother a lot of hard work! Zebra learned from his mistake, and he never wore his shoes inside someone else's house ever again.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Journal #1 - How the Zebra got its Stripes

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a zebra and a rabbit. At the time, the zebra was all black, and the rabbit was all white. The zebra was a very arrogant animal, who walked around the plains strutting his black coat in front of all the animals. The zebra thought that he was the best animal in the kingdom, and he let everyone know. The rabbit, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of the zebra. The rabbit was very quiet and shy. He also had a beautiful white coat, but he was much more modest than the zebra. He quietly hopped around and stayed out of everyone's way.
During the summer time, all of the animals in the animal kingdom gathered to have a contest. The contest was to see who had the most beautiful coat of fur in the whole kingdom. There were lions, tigers and bears, oh my! That year, the zebra decided to join the contest because he knew that he had a beautiful coat. The rabbit, even though he had a wonderful snow white coat, decided not to join. He decided to just watch the contest, because he felt that an award would just draw unwanted attention to himself.
When the contest finally came around, all of the animals gathered under the tallest tree in the land. They all lined up in groups, and the judge, the very wise owl, looked each animal up and down. The lions were very majestic, the tigers had beautiful stripes, but the standout of the group was the zebra, with his beautiful black coat. The owl then decided that the zebra was the winner.
As you would expect, the zebra was not a gracious winner. He took his title and gloated in front of all of the animals. He even made a special point to call out the white rabbit.
"Why did you not enter the contest? You think you have a beautiful coat, show it off!"
The rabbit then replied,
"I am just a quiet, humble rabbit, I have no need to be in a contest."
The zebra mocked the rabbit from then on, saying that his white coat was inferior to his coat, and even said it was ugly.
The very wise owl had been observing the events for quite some time, and was not pleased with the zebra. He spoke to the zebra.
"Zebra, you have made a fool of yourself by putting this beautiful rabbit's coat to shame. I am not pleased with your behavior. You will be punished for your actions."
There was a very bright flash of light, and when the lights cleared, the zebra was covered with white stripes.
"What has happened!" Said the zebra. "My beautiful black coat is ruined!"
The owl replied, "You will now be sentenced to live with these white stripes to remind you of the very rabbit you mocked and belittled for all for all of time!"
The zebra was devastated, and he went to quickly apologize to the rabbit, but his stripes remained even when the two animals were the best of friends.
That is how the zebra got its stripes.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Coda

Well, here we are, the final blog. This will be my last blog entry, as I have reached my summer goal of 50+ blogs. I have to say that blogging really wasn't as bad as it was made out to be. I remember last year around this time, looking on Facebook and seeing all of the Juniors rushing statuses about finishing their English blogs, and I really dreaded the thought of having to blog about the books I read. Honestly, writing essay's would have been so much simpler. It would have taken so much less time. But writing an essay for a teacher that you have never had would just be silly. There is no way to know what expectations that teacher has for writing essays, and you'll probably just fail your essays. Blogging was actually an enjoyable experience. Some students would say that they would actually read the books and get the same thing out of them as if they blogged, but lets be honest, that just isn't true. Blogging really made me pick apart the books that I read and get a fuller understanding of the novels. If I didn't blog about the books, I wouldn't know about the thematic importance of DiMaggio in The Old Man and the Sea. I probably would have just thought it was a stupid baseball reference, not a strong symbolic image that was absolutely necessary to the story. Blogging was a way to informally keep track of ideas and notes while reading a story, or after completion of the story. It made sure that I really knew and understood what I was reading, and not just going through the motions of reading a book. Blogging does require technology, but it is absolutely beneficiary to the students. I can confidently say that I really have a strong grasp on the summer English books that I read. I did choose to read 4 books, and because of the blogging required, I know that I have a good grasp on the concepts in each one. Blogging should be used in all English classes for summer work, in my opinion, because it opens up doors for personality in writing while still keeping the learning aspects intact. Blogging was definitely not a waste of my summer, and I know that I really do understand the stories that over these past few months.

The Grapes of Wrath - Rating and Review

I will have to say that overall, I really did not like this story. Please don't hate me if you absolutely loved this book. The story really just wasn't for me. It was harder to relate to the characters. Yeah, everyone in life has struggles, but this story was sort of dry. It also had so many details, which got a little annoying at times. I believe that the book would have appealed to me more if it was a little shorter and wasn't filled with so many details. The historical points of the story were very accurate, which was a huge plus because I am slightly interested in history, at least more interested than I was in this book. The novel was by no means bad, it just wasn't for me. This novel was like fruit filled candy bars from Germany. Some people absolutely love biting into a chocolate bar and tasting a dried up cherry. But as for me, I would much rather bite into a milk chocolate bar filled with simply chocolate. This story just had too much fruit in it, and by fruit I obviously mean details. I really just wanted a good snack but instead I got some half way healthy thing. I would give this novel a 2.5 out of 5. It really wasn't bad, it had a plot, characterization and setting, but it lacked that wow factor that every great book has. Yeah sure, it's an American classic, but not every American classic has to be loved by every American. I won't go too far and argue that it should be taken off the list of summer reading books. No no no, this story still is a very important story to read. It teaches of perseverance and generosity, which are both great traits to have. The Joads are people that should be looked up to. Yeah, they are just fictional literary characters, but they possess values and attitudes that should be admired by everyone. The Joads were always doing their best to make something good out of something absolutely terrible, and the characters got a 5 out of 5 in my book.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Tone

Some would argue that the best way to judge an authors writing ability is to assess his tone when writing a novel. Dictionary.com says that tone is "an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality ect." It sounds like tone, when referring to writing style, is different for each author. So what makes the tone of this novel so great? Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath was pretty long, there is no arguing there. But why was it so long? It seemed like the story was essentially about nothing! It just told about the story of a family heading west to escape the drowning economy in central America. But how did Steinbeck tell that story? That all depended on his tone. Steinbeck used soooo manyyyy detailsssss. If he would have used less detail, or maybe only described something once instead of repeating it 56847694749575 times, the book would have been much shorter and more concise. It would have been easier to read, but it would have lacked the tonal quality that Steinbeck is known for. The details were used to really drive the main point of the novel home for the reader. The tone of the story was there to make sure that the story's point was not missed. Steinbeck wrote about all of the troubles that the Joads faced, and yet, they never gave up. I started to get stubborn vibes from the Joads. The tone of the story could almost be considered stubborn. Steinbeck made sure that the reader knew how much trouble the Joads were going through and that they weren't going to give up, and he depicted that through the tone of the story. Since the Joads aren't the center of attention in every chapter, the chapters that focus more on the history are written with a passionate tone. Steinbeck really truly believed in every thing that he wrote, and it was obvious when reading it. The tone of the story was very important in truly understanding the message of the story.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Rating and Review

Of all of the books that I read this summer, school related or not, this was my favorite book by far. Bradbury did an excellent job of characterization, description, and dramatization. The story was very interesting, and I found that I just couldn't put the book down sometimes. I just had to find out what Montag was going to do next, and I love feeling that when I read a book. Most of the time, that is so hard to come by in a summer reading novel, but this book was definitely the exception. I'm reasonably sure that Paramore's The Only Exception song was written about this book because it was actually an interesting summer reading novel. Science fiction stories are probably my favorite books to read, and this book sort of had a science fiction era to it. It told of a futuristic society, which right there tells you that it could be considered science fiction. My dad actually suggested this book for me. He had read it in the past and thought highly of it, and I'm glad that he suggested it to me. Montag could be described as the typical factory worker. A person who went to work every day and did their job without really giving it much thought. I really enjoyed reading about Montag's transformation from the typical man into someone who was aware of the things going on around them. Bradbury did an excellent job transforming Montag's character. But why did he name him Montag? Was Bradbury German? Montag is the German word for Monday. That is the only aspect of the story that I don't understand, but it is really irrelevant to the plot, it is just a name. I would rate this book with a 5 out of 5 because it really kept me interested in the story and I really enjoyed reading it. I hope that in the future, more books will be put on the summer reading list that are similar to this story to help engage the students in their summer homework, and not just make it a chore that they hate doing.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Rating and Review

The story The Catcher in the Rye was overall a good book. I mainly enjoyed it because it was very easy to relate to. Holden was the type of character that every reader falls in love with. I was rooting for him until the last page of the novel. The story had its ups and downs as far as content. I found the plot to be sort of uneventful. The story did only take place over 3 days, and really, it didn't have much of a point. So this kid gets kicked out of school, runs around New York for a while, and then goes home to decide to run away. His 10 year old sister was finally able to talk him out of it, and boom, end of story. I did like, however, the way the story was presented. The book was narrated by Holden, and that made the story very interesting. In stories that have a limited 3rd person narrator, the characters can't be fully understood because the narrator can't know what the characters are feeling or thinking. In this story, Holden was not afraid to tell you what he thought of the characters and the reader knew exactly what Holden was feeling through out the story. It was very entertaining. Some of the language was also entertaining, I think I will start using the word "phony" now just because of this story. The fact that there was adult content would help this book relate to the older audience reading the story. The theme of sexuality was prominent throughout the entire story. Two of the characters were even possibly molested as children, which added a dark twist to the story. Overall, I would give this story a 4.5 out of 5 because I really enjoyed the book. I had heard good things about it and decided to find out for myself, and I am glad that I did. I would definitely recommend this story to anyone.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Character Analysis: Minor Characters

Phoebe:
I decided to put Phoebe into the category of "Minor Characters" simply because I had a lot to say about Holden and ran out of room for her in that blog. According to Holden, Phoebe is the best thing since sliced bread. She is really smart, funny and a great dancer. But most importantly she listens. One thing that shocked me was to realize that she was a young child. The peculiar thing was that she made some very adult accusations, like when she knew that Holden had been kicked out of school before he told her and when she convinced him not to run away. I believe the Phoebe was the best of both worlds for Holden, and that was why he loved her so much.

Allie:
Allie was not really in the story, but he was definitely relevant to the plot. The narration style really came in handy when learning about Allie. Holden agreed to write a paper for his friend, and that was how we learned about Allie. We learned that he died when he was 11 and that Holden was very upset over it. Holden thought of Allie just like he thought of Phoebe. He treated him sort of like a saint. You know why? Because Allie was still a child when he died. He hadn't been corrupted by the adult world. He was still innocent. That was why Holden loved him so much.

Jane:
Jane was a very special character to Holden, and surprisingly, she wasn't a child. Holden was very confused when it came to sexual relations, and Jane was no exception. Holden said he couldn't ever get too intimate with a girl that he really cared about, such as Jane. Yeah, they did cute things like hold hands, but they never really did anything "sexual." It was obvious that Holden really cared about Jane as a person, and not just an object. When he described her, he didn't focus on the physical side of things. Jane was probably someone who Holden truly loved. She definitely was not phony.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Writing Style

One of the aspects of The Grapes of Wrath that I actually did enjoy (and believe me, it was not the storyline) was how well Steinbeck described things. He was able to use such great detail that I really felt like I was in the story. This first passage does a great job proving my point.
"To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth. The plows crossed and recrossed the rivulet marks. The last rains lifted the corn quickly and scattered weed colonies and grass along the sides of the roads so that the gray country and the dark red country began to disappear under a green cover. In the last part of May the sky grew pale and the clouds that had hung in high puffs for so long in the spring were dissipated. The sun flared down on the growing corn day after day until a line of brown spread along the edge of each green bayonet. The clouds appeared, and went away, and in a while they did not try anymore. The weeds grew darker green to protect themselves, and they did not spread any more. The surface of the earth crusted, a thin hard crust, and as the sky became pale, so the earth became pale, pink in the red country and white in the gray country." (Steinbeck 1)
Steinbeck used great detail in describing all of the colors that were present in describing the dead earth. He described how the earth just gave up on that part of it, and how the clouds did not try to come back and shield the earth. Steinbeck did an excellent job with this passage. It was a great way to open up the story and it really hooked me into reading more about the baron landscape that the story took place on. Steinbeck was an excellent author.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - It's All About the Cycle...

So, the title of this blog may be a little silly, but I'm at that point in my blogging career that if I don't keep things a little humorous, my blogs will just drone on and on and on, probably forever and cause a rip in the space-time continuum that would end the world as we know it. See what I'm talking about? So back to this cycle thing. The entire book is based on a cycle. When the story starts, we are introduced to this new character, Montag. He seems like an interesting guy. As the story progresses, we watch him grow and mature, much like a caterpillar matures into a butterfly, but without that stupid cocoon thing in between. By the end of the story, Montag is really worn out and he's about had it with the government and burning books. So what does he do? Obviously, he gets naked and jumps into the river. But that is the completion of the cycle. Montag was in a sense, reborn at that exact moment. The entire story was based on Montag's cycle of life.

Now, if I only gave one reason to support my title, I wouldn't be able to stand a chance, would I? Probably not. Another example of a cycle through out the story is fire. A cycle consists of two main parts, construction and destruction. For the most part, Montag really only knew about the destruction part, seeing as how he was a fireman. Fire was the fireman's best friend (which is funny because the only job of fireman today is to extinguish fires). At the beginning of the story, fire was only used in the destructive part of the cycle, the burning of the books. But at the end of the story, however, Montag realized that fire can be used for good things, such as warming and other constructive things. See? The story not only told about Montag's cycle through out the story, but also the cycle of fire itself. Fire transformed from something that was only used for bad, into something that was used for good as well.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Symbolism

Through out Fahrenheit 451, there were many different symbols that could be found and interpreted. One of the main symbols was fire. Since the entire book was about the burning of books, this is a pretty obvious symbol. Fire represented many different things throughout the story. At first, it represented death and destruction. I mean, the pieces of literature were being destroyed, that's pretty much as destructive as it gets. But then by the end of the story, Montag realized that the fire could be used to heat the people, and didn't have to be so evil. That scene reminded me of a caveman first discovering fire. Obviously, it wasn't their first time discovering it, but it was the first time they realized that fire could be used for good instead of evil.

Another prominent symbol throughout the story were insects or "gross" animals. Yeah, that sounds a little "3rd graderish," but the images of insects or animals were prominent through out the story. In one of the helicopter chase scenes, the helicopter was described as insects. Also, when Mildred had to get her stomach pumped, the machine was referred to as a snake. The Mechanical Hound (which sounds like a dog to me) had eight legs, kind of like a spider. There is an obvious pattern. The things that are referred to as insects or animals are all pieces of technology. Basically, all those pieces of technology are things that the government used to control the people. It was pretty much a skewed version of nature.

One final symbol, which was a little weird, was when Montag stripped down naked and jumped in the river at the end of the story. Alright, so that was a little weird. I felt the same way I did when I finished reading The Grapes of Wrath. But that scene was really important. After all of the terrible things that happened in the story, when it was all over, Montag stripped away his clothes so he could take on a new identity. Taking off his clothes symbolized that he wanted to start over. It might have been a little weird, or even slightly funny, but it was a very important symbol in the story.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea - Rating and Review

When I first saw this book on the list for summer reading, I really didn't know what to think. I had never really heard anything about the book, and I just wasn't sure what to think. When I got the book, I cheered up a little bit because the book was so little, and let's be honest, everyone loves a small summer reading book. So I cracked it open one day in August, since you know, I really didn't have much time before school started, and began my journey with the old man and the sea. The story started out like no story I had ever read. The writing style was very different from other summer reading books. Usually, I can't even understand what I'm reading when I read summer books and try to write essay's (hint hint Great Expectations and Jayne Eyre). But this book was different. The sentences were for the most part very short and declarative, so the book was easy to understand. The author obviously wanted to make sure he got his point across, because everything was pretty much spelled out for me. As the story progressed, I formed a bond with the old man. I truly sympathized with him, and I really wanted him to catch that fish. I can't imagine going 84 days without catching something. I mean, I'm sure he caught a tire, the occasional beer can or even some seaweed, but I really wanted him to catch that fish. So when he was out in his boat and caught his first fish, I almost jumped out of bed and screamed because he finally did it. But, then he got a little greedy and used that fish to catch a bigger fish. That's where I wanted to jump in his boat and punch him in the mouth. If you went for 84 days without a fish, why would you throw it in the water as bait? Eat that fish! Beggars can't be choosers old man. But anyways, he caught the other huge fish so it all worked out...not. Those stupid sharks ate his fish and ruined the story for everyone. Darn sharks. Overall, this was a good story, and I really enjoyed following the tale of the old man. I would give it a 4 out of 5, just because I was hoping for a happy ending.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea - The old man and Motive

The main character in the novel was the old man. Throughout the entire story, he was known to almost everyone as "the old man." That's a little embarrassing, to be defined by your age. Anyone wouldn't be a fan of that, and would probably do anything to give people a reason to call him something else. Being known as "the guy who caught that huge fish" would be way better than being called "old man." I believe that was one of the old man's motives for catching the huge fish. Now hold on, there was one character who called the old man by his real name, or Santiago. His friend, the boy (who just so happened to also not be called his real name) called him his real name like 3 times through out the story. I guess it's not polite to call one of your friends old. I believe that pride was another motive for the old man to catch the big fish. He was once a big time fisherman, and now people just laughed at him. He wanted to be remembered, or at least called by his own name once in a while. Hunger was not really a motive for the old man, and you would think that it would be a huge motive. I mean, everyone has to eat don't they? Actually, the old man really didn't eat much through out the entire novel. The only time he really ate, he ate some of the fish bait that caught the marlin. Isn't that kind of odd? A man eating fish bait and being caught by sickness and a fish eating fish bait and being caught by the old man? Hhmm...comparison? I think so. At the end of the novel, however, people still called him the old man. So did he fail? I don't think he failed. He didn't fail himself, and that was all that really mattered. Everyone else might not have known, but the old man knew himself.


Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

The Catcher in the Rye - Happiness? What?

So it's pretty much a unanimous decision that the story The Catcher in the Rye is a very saddening story. The main character and narrator Holden is always sad and alone. He is always faced with instances of death, like the symbolism of the mummies, James Castle and Ossenburger. Pencey even built buildings out of money that was made from funeral parlors. Death is everywhere in Holden's life. It's no wonder that this kid is sad and depressed. He heard a fellow classmate commit suicide and his brother died from leukemia. Also, the "f*** you" signs that were a sign of sadness. They were always written in places that had once made Holden happy, which definitely made him even sadder. Death and sadness haunted Holden throughout the entire story, that is, until one of the last events in the story. After Holden decided that he was going to run away, his sister convinced him to go ride the carousel. That was one of the only times throughout the entire book that Holden really admitted he was truly happy. When they were on the carousel, Holden came to a realization. At first, I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about, so I had to do some research. Apparently, carousel's used to have a gold ring on them and when you passed it on your horse, you were supposed to try and grab it. Usually if you got it, you got a free ride. Holden talked about just letting the kids reach for the gold ring, even if they might get hurt. I believe that he was finally realizing that growing up wouldn't be the worst thing in the world that could happen. It was his final realization that it was time to let go, and I think that he was still happy, even after thinking about growing up. Just like the gold ring, growing up isn't something you can protect you children from. You have to just accept it because you can't stop it from happening. Or I guess he really could have just been talking about the gold ring on the carousel.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Character Analysis: Holden Caulfield

Holden is a character that every reader loves, but is totally alone. And he knows it. He has a very odd personality. He is obviously very judgmental of everyone, but at the same time he is always looking for the people he hates to be his friend when he really needs one. Holden is caught right in the middle: he judges everyone, then sorta kinda tries to reach out but in the end gets shut down and ends up upset. Throughout the story, Holden is so eager to make people happy. That is one of the reasons that he is the hero of the novel. He always helps people out or makes them happy, but they never return the favor. He constantly gets walked all over. And what is the result? Take, for instance, what he did as soon as he got off the train in New York. He ran into a phone booth and stood in it for 20 minutes trying to figure out who he was going to call, and then never called someone! 20 minutes and he couldn't think of a single person to call? But even after he gets taken advantage of, he never makes it seem like he is a victim. He is just so eager to make friends and please people.

One thing that is an advantage to the writing style that Holden is the narrator is that the reader is able to know exactly what Holden thinks, and he really doesn't think too highly of...well....anyone. He kept calling everyone "phony." But why? Calling everyone phony is a defense mechanism for Holden. If he calls everyone phony, he can feel better about himself when they turn him down. Holden is such a complex character that you must take every aspect of the story into consideration when evaluating his character. And what's this about his goal in life to be "the catcher in the rye?" Obviously, that is impossible. He can't save every child in the world. But everything starts to fit together when you think about his life goal. He acts childish because children are the people he can relate to best. When he finally does have to grow up, he wants to protect the only people that were nice to him by being "the catcher in the rye."

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 8

How accurately does this novel reflect events in history? What responsibilities does the author believe exist between various groups of people in society? What people, events and ideas probably influenced this author?

This question is really tough to answer because the novel isn't centered around an event in history. It really isn't even centered around a time period. No major aspects of the story are really specific to a certain time period in history. The story's message is universal, so this question is difficult to come up with a good answer. Honestly, the only answer is that the author did not do a good job in accurately reflecting events in history, because he didn't focus on any specific aspect of history. As far as responsibilities between groups of people, that is also pretty difficult to answer. The entire story is told through Holden's eyes, through Holden's perspective. It is so hard to get a true grasp on the personalities of people because the reader only knows what Holden tells them, and that's really controversial. The reader can't get a true look at the other characters in the story to assess their character. Holden constantly says that the characters are all "phony," so are we to assume that every character in the story really isn't a good character? Probably not, which is why this question is difficult to accurately answer. Influences are pretty much the only obvious question to be answered from the entire discussion question. Authors have to draw their material from somewhere, and I have concluded that Salinger was a lot like Holden when he was a child. Like I've said so many times, the message in this story is timeless, so events that occurred when he was a child could just as easily be translated into his story that occurs later in time. It is also possible that Salinger had a friend or child that was like Holden, but the main point is that he witness Holden in someone that was close to him and inspired him to write this story.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 7

What techniques does the author use to engage the audience and make the story effective?

Salinger created a new writing style for this story that had been used in few books before it. Since Holden is the narrator, the text follows his own speech. He tells the story exactly like he talks. Also, Holden talks directly to the reader in the text, such as when he talked about his brother and said "You'd have liked..." That style of writing really helped to keep me interested in the story because I felt like I was a part of the story. Another technique that Salinger used to engage the reader was sadness. Salinger wrote the story with a sad and depressing "film" that covered the entire novel. I was so engaged in the story simply because I sympathized with Holden. I could really relate to his sadness and I generally felt bad for him. Salinger wrote the story in a way that was easy to relate to. That also helped to engage me, because I saw a little of myself in Holden. Salinger also used the technique of written words. Stories are so much easier to read when they are written in a language that we can read, such as English. Novels written in French would not make good summer reading novels because I personally do not speak French. Also, novels that are written in webdings or other symbols are very difficult to decipher, as there really isn't a standard code or key for those types of symbols. Salinger also wrote the story so Holden would go into great details about things that really weren't relevant to the story. He told of the times he played checkers with Jane and Allie's baseball mitt because they kept the reader interested and revealed more about Holden's character. Holden would make comments about the story he was telling, which is a very weird thing to try and perceive, but it made the writing style very unique.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 6

Why do we still read this book?

I believe that a good book has a message that applies to anyone from any time period. This story has a very strong message that is presented in an entertaining, but somewhat sad story. The message and themes in this story can be so easily related to anyone, this book should be read by teenagers everywhere. Holden is so easy to relate to. Some people might even see themselves in him. The story is told from his perspective, and as a teenager, I shared many opinions with Holden. Throughout the story, Holden is facing the battle of growing up. He continues to act out in school, even though he is 17 years old. He doesn't want to grow up, but at the same time he knows that he has to. All teenagers go through a stage like this, and they might even agree that it is a depressing time in their life too. Letting go of childish behaviors is something that is hard to do, but we can't be children forever. The story tells of Holden's experiences when he is dealing with that time in his life. Being a teenager is just plain hard. Sure, adults have to worry about paying bills and their stressful jobs, but sometimes the life of a teenager is overlooked and people forget how hard it really is to be 17. This book is a great way to remind those people that its not as easy as it seems to be a teenager. I believe that if Holden would have had just one friend who was his true friend, his life would have changed dramatically. Jane could have been that friend, she was that friend. But Holden lost her and I believe that is where he went wrong. One person can make such a difference in a person's life, just like Phoebe was for Holden. If only Holden could have had a "Phoebe" in his life sooner, his life would have been much different and he could have saved himself so much pain.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 5

How does this novel reflect the history, behavior and social issues of the time period and setting?

The story takes place in two main places. It takes place at Pencey Prep and then switches over to New York City. The story is told sometime between 1949 and 1950. Why is that important? That time was right after World War II. Since Holden represents innocence, that time period was very relevant to the story. During World War II, the United States dropped the atomic bomb, and Holden even mentions that briefly in the story. In a way, that was when the United States lost its innocence. The story also points out many major differences between today's society and the society in the story. There really weren't very many people that drove cars in the story, the main transportation method was train or taxi. Also, the school system was different. There were many private schools, such as the one that Holden was kicked out of. Also, I found it funny that a teenager would have enough money to get a hotel room for a few nights, buy drinks at a bar, go see a movie and even get a prostitute. I can tell you for sure that there is no way I would ever have enough money on me to do all of that in today's society. The idea of family was also very different than it is today. In the story The Grapes of Wrath family was very important and they were very close to each other, but in this story, I really didn't read much about family interactions. They just seemed distant. I honestly can't even remember much about Holden's mother or father because the author chose not to go into much detail about them. When it comes down to it, regardless of the setting or time period, the message holds true for any time in history. Any kid would be able to relate to Holden, whether they lived in the 1950 or 2050.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 4

Who is the "hero" in this novel and what are some of his/her traits? What does he/she accomplish and how is he/she portrayed?

The protagonist, or hero, of this story is really difficult to pinpoint. The story really just tells the story of a teenagers struggles, and no one really steps in to save his life, or helps him realize a life changing epiphany. The story really doesn't have a hero unless you look at things from a completely different angle. Who is the anti-hero? Holden lacks many characteristics that a hero must have such as courage, honesty, and decisiveness. Just by those characteristics, Holden is nowhere near the hero of the story. Holden just sounds like a lazy minor character, or even the antagonist. He isn't a good looking person, he isn't funny or charming, and he just mopes around.

But for some reason, everyone loves him. While Holden does lack a few majorly important characteristics, he makes up for them with others. Holden is very noble. He always wants to protect the few people that he cares about, his family, Jane, and children all over the world. Holden has a love for children more than he loves adults, which shows how innocent he really is. Holden is also very compassionate. He saw the prostitute as more than just a prostitute. He just wanted to talk with her. He actually treated her like a person, not like an object. Holden also has an amazing goal in life: to be the catcher in the rye. The catcher in the rye's job was to save the playing children from falling off the cliff. Essentially, Holden wanted to save all children from whatever they needed saving from. He even went around and tried to wipe off the profanity from the school walls. Really, that goal is impossible, but it shows that Holden has pure intentions and really is the hero of the story.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 3

What universal theme does this book address?

This story may seem to just be the tale of a boy struggling through life, but deep down there are so many lessons and themes that can be learned from this story. One main theme that is prominent throughout the entire story is knowledge vs. wisdom. That may sound like the same thing, but actually, they are completely different. What are the advantages to a formal education as opposed to living life experiences and gaining wisdom from the things you experience? Many points are brought up in the story, and no real answer is given. It is all the choice of the reader.

Another main theme through out the story is sadness. Holden can't find his place in life, and that makes him sad. Actually, pretty much everything makes him sad. Holden often isolates himself, and that is sometimes the root of all sadness. Trying to escape isolation is sometimes a battle that can be saddening itself, and that is why Holden had such a rough struggle through out the story. Sadness was also added to the story when Holden told of his brother who died a few years ago. That could be the source of all of his sadness.

This novel was filled with many references to adult content. I mean, Holden had a prostitute in his hotel room. That isn't exactly PG rated. Sexuality was another major theme. Holden's view of sexuality was a little different from some teenagers. Holden could never imagine doing anything sexual to a woman that he respected, such as Jane Gallagher. Also, there are hints in the story that suggest that Holden was molested as a child, which would explain why he had such a hard time with his sexual identity.

Death is also a theme in the story. Holden lost his younger brother to leukemia, and he heard of another boy's suicide at the prep school. Death is hard for anyone to deal with, especially a teenager. Holden had to cope with many different losses, and that could have been part of his struggles throughout the story.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 2

What are the causes, gains and losses of the conflict dealt with in this book?

There are many smaller conflicts that are dealt with in this story, but mainly one big conflict. Sure, Holden doesn't have a place to stay, he got kicked out of boarding school, but the main conflict is that Holden really doesn't know where he fits in. This is a problem that is faced by so many teenagers today, and people won't know how hard it is until they read this story. Holden tried to fit in at his prep school, but obviously that didn't work out so well. He didn't really have any "real" friends, and he failed out of all of his classes (except English, oddly) and he was expelled. Holden narrated the story, and he would have never told anyone this, but from the way his character was developed, I can imagine that when he was expelled from prep school, he was sad. To him, it was just another person that didn't want him. Holden still didn't have anywhere to belong.

So then he went to New York for a while to see if he could fit in there. He stayed in a hotel for a while, tried to go on a few dates, even got a prostitute to come see him in his hotel (yet another sign that Holden was very lonely, he didn't want to do "prostitute things" with her, he just wanted to talk). Even the city life left Holden lonely and unsatisfied, and he eventually left the city to go to his home, the one place where every person should fit in.

Earlier in the story, the reader was informed that Holden's brother died a few years ago, but he did still have a sister that he said nothing but good things about. When they met up, it really seemed like Holden had finally found his place. But once again, things happened and Holden wanted to run away. His sister was able to talk him out of it, but when the story ends, Holden is in therapy for his "sickness." The entire story tells of a boy who simply cannot fit in, and it is a truly saddening story. Who knows what the causes were, maybe his personality just wasn't friendly enough. Holden also makes a comment that he regretted telling the story because it reminded him of all the friends he had made and lost, so he at least gained temporary friendship from some people.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye - Question 1

What does the writing reveal about the authors values and attitudes? From what perspective does he/she write?

Any great author, such as Salinger, is able to take their attitudes and values and make them into a character's values and attitudes. Essentially, they make themselves a character in their story to get their message across in a way that is enjoyable for the reader. Salinger wrote the story so that Holden was the narrator, and the story was written with a first person narrator. Point of view is really important in this story because it doesn't matter how we see the things in this story, it matters how Holden views them. That is one of the reasons I liked this story so much. Holden calls pretty much every other character in the story "phony," but really, Holden lies more than they do. He never tells the truth, but at the same time he doesn't really lie. It is a weird twist on a main character. Also, because we are limited to Holden's perspective, and we know how often he tells the truth, maybe the people that he talked so badly about really aren't that bad at all.

The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of a teenage boy who is struggling through life. This story is very easy to relate to for many people that read the story. Holden is a very troubled boy, who even had to wonder around New York for a few days, with no real place to go. Holden was a very innocent kid at heart, and I believe that was one of Salinger's values when he wrote the story. The other three novels that I read didn't really have a truly innocent character like this story did. Holden went from the sheltered life of a boarding school out into the real world. He had to witness how harsh the "real world" is for himself, uncensored. Holden's experience really changed him.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Grapes of Wrath - Uhh....

So how about the ending of the novel? It was nice and weird, just how I like my story endings to be. But in all seriousness, the ending really was more than a woman feeding a strange man her breast milk (even just typing that feels so weird). Rose of Sharon was a pregnant woman throughout the entire story, and if she would have given birth, a baby is a great symbol for the story. Babies represent new life, a clean slate. That is exactly what the Joads were looking for in California. New babies really bring a family together, and that would have been exactly what the Joads needed. The fact that her baby didn't survive shows how bad the Dust Bowl really was. It left an wave of sadness to wash over the reader, and it summed up the book in a single event.

But that isn't all the ending stood for. Steinbeck could have ended the novel with Rose of Sharon giving birth to a completely healthy baby and they all could have lived happily ever after, but that would have defeated the main purpose of the novel. Even at a time of complete crisis mode, the Joads were able to reach out and help someone in need. They themselves were miserable, just like everyone else, but they were able to find it inside themselves and help someone. The Joads are an inspiration to everyone. Steinbeck could have just ended the book before we found out about the baby's death, but he wanted us to be left with the final image of Rose of Sharon's final selfless act. He really wanted to drive home the whole point of the novel in one final scene. Why did he do it like he did? I sure don't know. You would think he could have done it in a way that was a little less awkward, but his method was effective. Steinbeck left us knowing that the Joads were truly selfless people, and should be admired for all of their acts.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Character Analysis

Ma Joad:
Ma Joad is one of the strongest characters in the story. She has to be strong for her family, because if she can't take the pressure, how is everyone else supposed to deal with it? Ma Joad is basically the backbone of the family. Even when she lost every one of her possessions and had her own home taken from her, she remained cool and calm. Without her, there would be no family. Ma has experienced so much in her life, that she is able to see right through the California dream. She starts to doubt it before anyone else does.

Reverend Casy:
At first glance, Reverend Casy just seems to be an old man who has given up on his life as a preacher. If you stop at that, you really miss out on a lot that the man has to offer to the family. He guides the family spiritually. He tells Tom of some of his ideas, and I have to say, they sound a little like Communism. He talks about "one, collective soul that every man is a part of." Yeah, its great that we get to watch a man create his own philosophy through out the story, but its a little freaky when he starts talking about communistic ideas. Nevertheless, he guides the Joads and serves as their "compass" for their entire journey.

Pa Joad:
Pa is a very quite character, and it seems like he just got quieter and quieter as the story progressed. And I don't blame him one bit, he was after all the father of 6 kids. That in itself would make a man quiet, and then add on top of that the fact that he was a farmer for his entire life, farming the land and keeping the family alive. He was not exactly the best at keeping his cool, however. I believe that he was pretty much the exact opposite of Ma Joad, and they really balanced each other out. Marrying her was probably a smart move on his part.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Question 8

How accurately does this novel reflect events in history?

As I mentioned in a previous blog, this novel could almost be classified as historical fiction. The novel depicts events in history such as the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Those two events occurred around the time period that the author wrote the story, so he was obviously inspired by real life events. Steinbeck wrote from the perspective of the migrating worker, and they were definitely lower on the food chain that the plantation owners. Steinbeck believed that everyone was better than the migrating worker. The plantation owners and the banks worked together to steal money and goods from the workers, even after they did all of the hard work. That is what actually happened during the Dust Bowl era in history and the Great Depression. The depression sent all the workers west because they were told that there was work in the west. The banks newspaper companies helped to spread the message, so essentially, they were working together to make a profit off the hard working American citizens. The plantation owners in the story treat their workers very poorly. At one point, they are even compared to being treated like the owners horses. But at the same time, the farmers believe that the owners are responsible, and are very upset when the farms are closed down. The relations in this story are very mixed up, but always depict what actually happened in the time period.

The relationship between the family is a very strong bond that helps the family to survive. All the family has is each other, and the author writes about their relationship and roles in the family. The two younger men are always in charge of fixing the automobiles, and Ma is pretty much in charge of the family. Honestly, that is still how life is in today's society. Things have changed from an economic standpoint since the Great Depression, but many things are still similar to the way they were during the Dust Bowl.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Question 7

What techniques does the author use to engage the audience and make the story effective?

Steinbeck was one of the most talented authors of his time, and he had a few specific writing styles that made his works very effective. First, Steinbeck loved details. In the novel The Grapes of Wrath, he used very vivid details. He used a boat load of them to describe the Joad's daily life. And by the time the book was finished, I could probably go get my auto mechanics license at the local auto body shop because Steinbeck went into such great detail. He includes so much detail that it is easy to forget that you are outside the book, and not right next to the Joad family, traveling along the road. With all the details provided, you could probably write a movie script to match the book exactly. Steinbeck also liked to mix in every once in a while a chapter that painted a picture of the Dust Bowl era from a historical viewpoint. They tended to tell the darker side of the Dust Bowl era, depicting car salesmen selling cars for way too much money, bank tellers evicting tenant farmers, and dust storms that ruined the land. He used a lot of repetition in those chapters and that really drove the idea home of how bad the Dust Bowl really was.

Steinbeck also used the standard writing tricks when he wrote this novel. He wrote in many great themes and symbols, and that really helped to hook the reader. Steinbeck may or may not have known that his book would become a timeless classic, but his amazing writing style helped to assure him a spot on the list. No other author compares to the amount of detail that Steinbeck put into this story. He put his heart and soul into the book, and it obviously shows. Steinbeck's book will never be forgotten through out history.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Question 6

Why do we still read this book? What is so timeless about its message and characters?

Just like any other book on a summer reading list, there is always a reason for reading the story. This book did not just come out on the best seller's list, so we don't read it because it is the next big hit of a novel. I really found this story quite boring, but there are obvious reasons that we still read the story. This story translates the timeless message of the importance of family. The Joads learned that together, they were much stronger than if they were apart. They needed each other to stay strong through out their difficult journey. The story depicted actual lives during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, and that is partially why it is such an important story to read. The reader can easily relate to the main message of the story, and that would be the importance of family. Steinbeck was able to create a scenario that was much like one that actually happened, and that is why the book was so popular. It was a fictional story that depicted the actual way that people lived during the Great Depression, and people loved that. It could even possibly be called historical fiction because of its historical content mixed with fictitious characters.

My writers block is killing me right now, but this book has such a clear message that nothing can stop me. The book almost put me to sleep reading it, but the profound message of lies and deceit is clear throughout the book. This story tells us that we can't believe everything that we hear. Even stuff written in the news papers isn't always true, and that came back to haunt the Joads when they traveled to California in search of life and work. It was all a show put on by the farm owners in California, and the story helps to show us to make sure we know what we're getting into before we do it.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Monday, August 8, 2011

The Grapes of Wrath - Question 5

How does this novel reflect the history, behaviors and social issues of the time period and setting?

This book, unlike the last book that I blogged about (Fahrenheit 451), is not about a futuristic society that parallels our society. And I promise I won't make any assumptions that Steinbeck was psychic. Steinbeck wrote this novel right after three major events in American history. The Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, and the stock market crash were all events in history that were depicted in this story. The Great Depression was caused by the stock market crash. Basically, a whole bunch of heavy investors got scared when foreign investors started selling all of their stocks, so the big investors sold all of theirs and that caused a chain reaction and soon, everyone was selling stocks and no one wanted to buy them and the stock market crashed. That left the American economy in shambles. Because of that, America went into a depression, which we know as the Great Depression. The story accurately depicts the time period because it tells of a time where the Joads stay in a town known as a "Hooverville." Hooverville's were groups of card board boxes that people lived in during the depression. People named them after President Hoover, who they blamed for the Great Depression.

One major symbol in the story are the bugs. The author depicts the images of many bugs throughout the story. He shows the relation between the bugs and the humans. The humans are able to easily kill the bugs, and treat them very poorly. The tenant farmers treat the humans much like bugs. They don't kill them by squashing them, but they treat them very poorly. The author also uses his ability to describe things with colors as a symbol. Steinbeck often describes the Oklahoma landscape with colors such as yellow or gold. That makes the reader think of money and how the Oklahoma landscape used to be rich and plentiful.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Question 4

Who is the "hero" in this book and what are some of his/her traits?

The true hero of the story was obviously Tom Joad. At the beginning of the story, Tom was a bit of a scary character. I mean, he did just get out of jail after serving a 4 year sentence for killing someone. All he wanted to do was kick back and spend time on his farm. When he got home and realized that times were tough, however, he did not just give up. He didn't sit back and take orders from someone else. He took charge and made something happen. He made a commitment to making sure that his family would be okay. Tom was a leader. But at the same time, throughout the novel, he was a very distant character. It almost seemed like he was mystic, and the reader never really knew a lot about him.

Tom was also great at giving advice. And it wasn't the kind of advice that leaves you wondering "what is he trying to say?" Tom gave advice straight up most of the time, like when he told the one-eyed mechanic to get an eye patch and take a bath. He just fixed two of that man's problems. 1: The man will no longer have a huge hole in his face where an eye is supposed to be on a normal person. 2: The man will be able to get himself a lady friend because he will no longer stink. Tom was a hero to many people. All of the people that he helped out along his journey, especially his family, were witness to his heroism.

Tom represented the abstract idea of courage. Tom was a corrupt man when the story began, and he had to give up his intentions of being lazy and step up to the plate. So many people were relying on him to be everything he could be, and he did not let those people down. That is what makes a hero.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.


The Grapes of Wrath - Question 3

What universal theme does this book address?

Even though I found this book very dry and boring, there were many prominent themes throughout the story. Steinbeck really stressed the value of family. I know that sometimes, my family is unbearable. My parents, just like everyone's parents, can embarrass me beyond repair, but I know that I wouldn't be able to live with out them. The strength of Tom's family bonds helped the family through their rough times. The family was able to fight through the rough times during their travels. They were also there for each other when things did not go their way. They were like a mini support group, and the family would not have been able to survive without each other.

Another main theme in the story is based around lies. The family, just like many other families, set out west in search of a new life that would save them from the poor economy. All of the people, however, were lied to. Life out west really was not that much better than anywhere else. The Great Depression hit the entire United States, not just one part of it. The banks helped to spread the rumors so that many people would travel west and provide more workers for the farms in California. Also, the tenant farmers did the same thing for the same reasons, and that made the lie spread even further. The entire story was centered around that lie, and without it, the family would have never traveled west and there would be no story.

Throughout the story, it is obvious that the tenant farmers and banks are very greedy. They devised the plan to draw the poor people to the West so they could be used as cheap labor and would bring the banks a larger profit. However, the Joads are not interested in obtaining more wealth in the form of money, they seek wealth in the form of happiness. They search for a simple life in the west, and would be content living comfortably, not rich like the tenant farmers in the story.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Question 2

What are the causes, gains and losses of the conflict dealt with in this book?

The conflict in this book really is hard to pinpoint. Some might say that it is the external conflict that the men cannot find jobs when they get to California or the many other smaller conflicts that occur throughout the story. I believe that the main conflict faced in the story is between Tom and himself. Tom is the main source of conflict just because he is the main character in the story. He is faced with many smaller external conflicts, like when he kills the man who stuck a pick axe in Casey's head and when he must decide if he will picket with the other workers at the peach farm. Tom's character is faced with many small problems throughout the story that leave a huge weight on his shoulders. His main conflict was deciding if he would travel to California or not. He chose to, and even though it cost him greatly, it may have been the right choice.

Tom had to make the decision to go to California because of the stock market crash and the Great Depression. Those two things left the U.S.'s economy in shambles, and forced many people out of their jobs and homes. Tom believed that the best move for the family was to go to California, and they had already been thinking the same thing.

Tom lost a great deal when he left for California. The story tells that the family collected up all of their important belongings and then sold all of the remaining items away for money. That would be so hard, to have to sell almost everything and move away, all just on a guess that life will be better. It had to be better.

Tom did however make a few gains in the move. Tom made a few new friends along the way, and when he did finally get to California, he was able to finally get a new job. His life may or may not have been better than the one before, but it was his decision to change his life, and he had to live with the outcome.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Question 1

What does the writing reveal about the authors values and attitudes?

First of all, I would just like to say that this book was very boring. Since this is a blog, I feel that I am allowed to state my opinions on the book as well as answer the questions. The story was essentially about nothing. It was very long and dry and I was not happy with the ending. It really did not satisfy my curiosity in the story. Now that I got that out of my system, I can actually answer the questions.

Steinbeck published the story in 1939, just after the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, and the story covers both of those two events in history. Since Steinbeck was a part of both of those events, he was able to clearly convey them in his story. The story may only tell the tale of a family of tenant farmers traveling across the United States in search of the glory land known as "California," but it also teaches about human nature and how people can react in beautiful ways in the most treacherous times. The family experienced so many hardships, such as when Granma and Grampa both die and when Rose of Sharon's husband left her, but they all kept a positive attitude about life and made the best of things. Many times, people told Tom that things were not better in California, but he chose not to listen to them. He did what he thought was right for his family and he kept on pushing towards California. He made the best of his awful situation. Steinbeck must have believed in faith. Tom had faith that life would be better in California, and he sacrificed many things to find out. He may have gotten nervous a few times, but he never once doubted his decision to head West to find jobs. Steinbeck must a have also believed in courage, and portrayed that in his writing. Tom must have been scared to leave everything to go to California. He even sold everything that was not important to him before they left. But he had the courage to continue on and make his way to California.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Fahrenheit 451 - Opening Passage

Ray Bradbury is an excellent author. His techniques of hooking the reader are what really got me interested in the story to begin with. The first passage of the book really got me interested in what happened next.

"Books bombarded Montag's shoulders, his arms, his upturned face. A book landed, almost obediently, like a white pigeon, in his hands, wings fluttering. In the dim wavering light a page hung open and it was like a snowy feather, the words delicately painted thereon. In all the rush and fervor, Montag had only an instant to read a line, but it blazed as if stamped there with fiery steel.

And then Montag's hand closed like a mouth, crushed the book with wild devotion, with an insanity of mindlessness to his chest. Montag had done nothing. his hand had done it all...his hand, with a brain of its own, with a conscience and a curiosity in each trembling finger, had turned thief.

Montag knew it was madness, suicide -- but it was also a beginning!"


The unique description provided in that passage really hooked the reader. I really was able to vividly picture Montag standing in a fire holding that book. That passage was what informed the reader of the spark that was in his mind that started the whole book. Bradbury's personification of the book really provided a clear picture. The opening passage of a book really is the most important part. If a book has a bad beginning, no one will read to find out if it has a great ending. The passage treated the books as if they were illegal, which they were, and it really brought out that reading the books was a crime. It says that Montag's hand had a mind of its own, and while that is not possible, it really hooks the reader. It shows that there is something different about Montag, and it gives the reader something to read for.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Character Analysis

Guy Montag:
Guy was the main character in the story, and right from the beginning it was obvious that he was different from the other people in the society. He knew that he wasn't happy with his life, but he really wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because of his job, he did steal books from the fires, or maybe it was his relationship with his wife, but his unhappiness needed to be filled. He filled that hole with curiosity. That craving for learning put him in motion and led him to his fugitive life. Once Guy was opened up to the ideas of the revolution, he realizes that the burning of the books was not about destroying them, but about recreating them in the minds of the intellectuals. He couldn't learn that from the Bible, he had to experience it himself.

Captain Beatty:
Beatty is very similar to Guy. He is a little bit of an oxymoron because while he is the head fireman, he knows so much about books. He even quotes from them, including the bible. Beatty has so many questions and just isn't happy with his life, just like Guy, but there is a difference. Beatty provides a very strong anti-book argument. He says that books are treacherous. Books are confusing and contradictory. The character really helps bring out Bradbury's theme. It's not about what the books are about, its about the ability to think and ask question for yourself while reading them.

Clarisse McClellan:
Clarisse is one of the most important characters in the novel. She really gets the ball rolling for Guy and without her, Guy would have just kept on living his empty life. Clarisse is a contradiction in the society. She really wasn't into the violence on t.v. Actually, she really didn't even enjoy watching t.v. She was drawn to Guy because he was so weird; a fireman who didn't even know why he was a fireman. Then she disappeared. She was so much of a contradiction that she just couldn't exist in the society at all. Lame.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 8

How accurately does this novel reflect events in history? What people, ideas and events probably influenced this author?

This is another novel that can be ranted about when books are said to depict the future. I can totally see our society becoming just like this society, many, many years in the future. Obviously, Bradbury saw something in our society that drove him to write the story. I mean, his ideas didn't just come from nowhere. He had to have influences from somewhere, so to a certain extent, the futuristic society is partially in our society today. I believe that Bradbury was influenced to write out of fear. He must have been able to see somehow (psychic?) what our world was coming to, and he had to get his ideas out somehow. But at the same time, he didn't want to sound crazy. There are enough crazy people in the world, we don't need one writing books about it (that's a hint Al Gore). Bradbury was able to put his ideas and thoughts out through writing, and he concealed them inside a great novel.

In the novel, Bradbury depicted a relationship between the common person and the government. The people were not allowed to read books, but someone must have been to decide that they were illegal. The government in this story decided that books were not to be read by common people, but only by them. Our government today sometimes does the same thing. They think that they can decide what we need to know and what we don't, and that is so not true.

I said in a few of my previous blogs that authors such as Orwell and Bradbury must be psychic. That really is a silly thing to say, but they are able to see things that we can't see. They are also able to put what they see into a story in a way that we can draw our own conclusions and see it for ourselves. Bradbury was influenced by society to write this book, because he saw a problem that not many others saw in the world.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 7

What techniques does the author use to engage the audience and make the story effective?

Bradbury is a very effective writer, and his story kept me reading til the last page. Bradbury used a lot of suspense in this novel. Clarisse's death was very strange and suspicious, and the reader never really knows what went on and how it happened. Also, from the beginning of the story, the reader can assume that one of the main characters is going to defy society and start a revolution, and it is really hard to tell. The author suspended the reader and made them read on to find out what really happened.

The author also used a technique known as fear. The fear was not in the book, however. The fear was in the reader. The world that Bradbury described could very possibly become our future. That fact alone would keep the reader interested in the story and have them keep reading to find out what happens next. I find so many kids in our school that really hate reading. Its a little scary, because I know that everyone likes to watch t.v. and some kids watch it a little too often. Most students say they only read when they're forced to. My mom is a reading teacher, and she hates to hear that, and she says she hears it way too often. Doesn't that sound a lot like the future described in the story? The fact that the two realities are so similar make the reader even more curious and it keeps them reading. Maybe that's how the book got to be so popular. People just kept reading it and couldn't stop and then they themselves drew parallels to our society and were shocked. If we don't learn from this book, we will definitely be doomed to repeat it. The whole idea is really frightening, and is one reason that Bradbury was able to get his point across so well.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 6

Why do we still read this book?

This is one of those books that we still read for a number of reasons. The book was awesome, in my opinion. The character development through out the story was excellent, and Bradbury really brought out the morals in the story. Bradbury wrote this story as a warning. He obviously felt that the story might eventually come true, and our society is taking its turn for the worst. There are so many parallels that can be drawn between the book and our society, it's a little scary. This book is still read because if we don't learn from this story, our society will be doomed to mirror it.

This book is a great book for a summer reading list because it adds a science fiction element to any reading list. The book isn't boring at all, and it is such a change from other books such as Jane Eyre or Great Expectations. The story, in my opinion, is a great balance of school quality and entertainment quality. The book really hooks the reader and that's why we still read it, to make our summers less boring.The book also looks great. The color scheme on the cover is just wonderful. On my copy, the flames are so realistic, it adds a scary element to the story.

The messages in this book are so timeless. Free thinking will always be the popular choice of thinking, and people are always going to be at risk to lose that ability. Blogging is such a great activity to do with this story because the book teaches about free thinking, and then we get the chance to express our ideas in the blogs. It is like the two were meant to be, and that's why the book is still read today. I personally loved this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to read a book with a strong message and theme, but doesn't want to fall asleep 5 pages into the story.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Friday, August 5, 2011

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 5

How does this novel reflect the history, behaviors and social issues of the time period and setting?

This is an excellent question to go on a rant about how author's used to be psychic. I mean, seriously, how did they know? Authors like Huxley, Orwell and Bradbury all wrote books about futuristic worlds, and they always closely resemble the societies that we live in. Think about it. Orwell's 1984 told of a society where "Big Brother was watching." There are networks of security cameras and people who can hack web cams, which is just another form of someone always watching. I promise, I'm not crazy, and I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but this is real people! And in Huxley's story Brave New World, social classes were predetermined before birth. Think about the social classes in today's society. Very rarely do people change classes much, and their children, for the most part, follow in their steps (Okay, so the movie The Pursuit of Happyness is an exception, but its just a generalization).

In the story, the people did not question what they were told by the "government." Today, people do stupid stuff they see on the Internet without asking if its even safe. You could search on Google "how to treat a cut" and you might get a result that says "make sure to soak your cut in salty alcohol," and there would be people who would try it. People just assume that everything that is on t.v. or the Internet is completely, %100 right, just like the people in the book did. Well, and this might be a wake up call for you, but that really is not even close to accurate. The people in the book were taught not to question things and just go with whatever they are told. To an extent, our government does that to us today. Is every governmental decision televised so we can watch? No. Do we know everything that goes on behind the scenes? No. We are just told what to do and how to do it and they tell us it'll all be alright. Well guys, maybe it won't be alright.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 4

Who is the "hero" of this book and what are some of his/her traits?

Usually this question can be answered with the main protagonist in the story, but I feel a little differently with this book. I, unlike some people, believe that Clarisse is the hero of this story. Yeah, I know, go ahead and tell me I'm wrong. Or you could just keep reading and find out how right I really am...

So the story starts out following this guy named...well...Guy. And right from the start, we know that he isn't like the other people in his society. He's a fireman, but he keeps books on the side. He's a smart guy who does a little free thinking in his spare time. Sweet, sounds like a hero to me. But the problem was, he would never do anything with his free thinking. And if you need to start a fire and you have a match, but won't light the match, no one is going to thank you when they're cooking smore's.

So then Guy meets this girl Clarisse. Shes just a little weirdie in their society. She doesn't like the violence on t.v.? What? And she really likes weird things (such as herself). She also takes an interest in Guy because he is a fireman who likes books. That's like a vegetarian who works at a slaughter house. Clarisse never told Guy what to think, which is why I believe that Guy listened to her. She always asked Guy questions that no one had ever asked him, and that really got the wheels turning in his mind. Clarisse was the one who made Guy into the man he was at the end of the story. Without her, he would have just been burning books for the rest of his life and having no idea why.

Then you read some more, and Clarisse dies? Seriously? No happy ending where Clarisse and Guy grow old together? No? Clarisse was the perfect example for what cannot exist in the society in the story, so she ceased to exist. We don't know how or why, but she did. It just could not happen. But nothing would have happened without her. Boom. Aren't you glad you read the whole blog to find out why Clarisse was way more important than Guy?

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 3

What universal themes does this book address?

Fahrenheit 451 is a story that portrays many different themes. This book would definitely be banned in the futuristic world it was written in. The book takes place in a world that has strict rules and regulations, but it never really seemed like there were police on every corner to enforce the laws. Since books and technology were illegal, people had no source of free thinking and idealism. They didn't have to be told to follow the rules, because that was just what everyone did. They did that just so that they were all the same and to fit into society. The idea of being an individual and to stick out was not even thought of as a good idea.

I believe that everyone in the story was really unhappy. Sure, sitting around and watching t.v. all day sounds great to you, but that was all those people did. Television gave them a false idea of what happiness really was, and it left all of them unsatisfied. However, none of them wanted to admit it, so nothing ever changed. They really didn't know any different and never wanted to change anything. They just lived every day unsatisfied, until Guy realized that there was something he could do about it. He took the first step and he changed his life forever.

Because of that lack of satisfaction felt by the people, they all needed an outlet. Violence was their outlet, and a theme in the book. The story talked about teenagers going around and killing each other. That really does happen today, and it is an outlet for some kids. It really is not okay though. Like at all. And where did all of those people get the idea to get in a car and drive really, really fast or go out and kill someone? You guessed it, t.v. This t.v. thing is really turning out to be problematic. Their sole source of entertainment was filled with violence, and when you get all of your ideas from t.v., what else can you expect to happen.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 2

What are the causes, gains and losses of the conflict dealt with in this book?

Again, this question is pretty much one of the standard questions asked by pretty much every teacher in the entire world. Someone must have really like this question, because its always asked about every book I've ever read. I believe that the conflict in this book is between Guy and himself. An internal conflict in a book really opens up the novel for interpretation, and it adds a certain literary element to the story that really hooks the reader and has them playing devil's advocate with themselves. At the beginning of the story, Guy just did his job without even thinking about it. He had no problems burning the books (I find it ironic that he was known as a fireman, but he was actually starting fires, not putting them out). Once he met Clarisse, however, then things were completely different. Guy had a new lease on life, but that's where the conflict came in. Should he listen to the girl, or stick with what society was doing? Since Guy lived in a society where no one questioned any thing or had a sense of free thinking, I would not have been surprised if he would have ignored her and continued his life as normal. But no. He chose to listen to her and she changed his life. That is another message shared by the story, it only takes one person to change someones life. Guy had this whole new idea on life and even though it did get him into trouble, it led him to a group of people who shared similar ideas with him and saved him from the impending doom of society. Yes, Guy lost everything. The city was bombed and everything, including the books, were destroyed. But that gave Guy and the other intellectuals a chance to start over and do things the way that they wanted to. It changed their lives and gave them the ability to think for themselves and read as many books as they wanted to (as soon as they wrote them...).

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Question 1

What does the writing reveal about the author's values and attitudes?

This is sometimes a difficult question to answer about a book. The answer directly reflects how well the author wrote the story. Bradbury wrote this book to get his message across, and he clearly displayed it throughout the entire story. Like some other summer reading books that I have read, such as Brave New World or 1984, the story Fahrenheit 451 tells the story of a futuristic society where books are illegal. The book touches on the idea of censorship and its evils, but I believe that the main focus is on the evils of television.

As silly as it sounds, Bradbury's futuristic society could eventually become a reality. In the 1950's the color t.v. had just made its appearance in homes across America, and it left an impression of newly found life of leisure. Think about how much you rely on t.v. for ideas on fashion, where to eat, who to vote for, or what to do. You could personally make absolutely zero decisions and still live your life normally just by watching t.v. and doing whatever it suggested. And don't get me wrong, those infomercials are just so appealing and really make me want to pay just 2 payments of $9.99, especially since they're doubling my order absolutely free. Bradbury wrote this book before we had Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, and he would probably break down and cry if he knew how often we looked at the Internet for advice. The Internet is just as bad as television when it comes to telling us what to think and do. Reading books are a way for people to think for themselves. The questions we are answering for our blogs allow us to think and create our own opinions about the stories we read. Without books, a whole part of free thinking is taken away. Bradbury clearly stated his feeling on that topic, but even with his warnings, our society is heading towards the doom in his story.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1953. Print.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Old Man and the Sea - The boy and Final Thoughts

The only real friend that the old man has throughout the entire story is a boy named Manolin. He is referred to as "the boy," just as Santiago is referred to as "old man." Because of Hemingway's short declarative writing style, the text comes right out and says that the old man taught the boy to fish, and he loves the boy. Wow Hemingway, way to leave us wondering about the two. You wouldn't want to leave us with something to think about for ourselves would you? The boy really is the only person throughout the entire story who really respects the old man. He didn't care how old the man was, he knew for sure that he was a great fisherman. He always had confidence in the old man. When the old man was on his fishing expedition, he repeatedly wished that the boy was with him. Obviously, the old man wanted help bringing in the huge fish he was trying to catch, but I think that it was more than that. I believe that the old man really wanted a friend to be there with him. Deep down, the old man was sentimental, and a friend would be comforting for him. On the other hand, the old man might have been thinking about all of the people that wouldn't believe that he had caught such a huge fish. He may have just wanted a witness to back him up when people didn't believe him. But I believe that the old man missed the boy and wanted him to enjoy how happy he was with him.

Overall, this book was a good book for a summer reading list. It was a typical school novel. There were many prominent themes throughout the book, and it had a simple, but good story. Hemingway was able to develop the old man's character very vividly using his short sentences. I do not regret reading this book at all, and I will be looking forward to our discussions of the book.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.