Final Blog

After finishing the book I am kind of disappointed in it. I didn’t really like the ending well I didn’t really understand the ending I guess.  While fleeing from the police and is on the run Montag ended up making it to his old friends house and his friend told Montag “I feel alive for the first time in years. I feel I am doing what I should’ve done a lifetime ago.” This is awesome because we know that they made the right choice than. Even though their lives are at stake and Montag followed through with doing some bad things to his friends to run away at least they are happy now. I look at it like this as I am about to graduate from high school, I have a lot of life decisions coming up that I need to make and it scares me because I want  to make the right ones and I am sure everyone has heard it is important to pick a career that makes you happy do something that you love and I truly think that’s important because I am going to be doing it every day for the rest of my life and why do something for that amount of time when you hate it.

While Montag was running he was following railroad tracks and it was interesting to me because he said that everything is airborne now and now the tracks are just there to sit there and rust. That’s weird to me I mean what if one day trains don’t exist anymore, it would be weird. Especially since there is a railroad right behind my house and I absolutely hate it because it wakes me up in the middle of the night, but maybe I would miss it when it was gone.

While still on the run Montag ended up running into this group of five men in the forest just hanging out and they told he doesn’t have to worry he is safe here. These are guys that are just like Montag and Faber who wanted to know what is inside the books. While talking, the guys told Montag to just watch the TV and in about five minutes this chase would be all over. Montag was confused and didn’t know what they meant by it but sure enough the cops ended up shooting some random guy just out on a daily stroll. How terrible! Makes me think about though really how many people are framed and put away for something they didn’t do. Or how many people are out there still running wild and everyone thinks they are safe.

I love when Montag said “The sun burnt every day. It burnt time. The world rushed in a circle and turned on its axis and time was busy burning the years and the people anyway, without any help from him. So if he burnt things with firemen and the sun burnt time, that meant that everything burnt.” Isn’t that the truth I mean life is short enough the way it is and why have it go any faster. Enjoy it!

Final Blog- The Postman Always Rings Twice

I finished reading The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain last week, but I’ve finally found some time to do my final blog today. At first, I didn’t like the book that much, but once I started to feel for the characters, I enjoyed it more. I left off in my last blog where Frank had just come back from his “vacation” with Marge. Cora does find out that he was away with her because Marge stops by the restaurant and drops off a baby puma for Frank. Cora is pretty upset about it. Then, Kennedy, the man who knows about Cora’s confession to killing the Greek, comes back to blackmail them into giving him $25,000. However, Frank beats him up and burns the evidence. Later, Cora finds out she’s pregnant with Frank’s baby. They get married, but while they’re at the beach after their wedding, Cora says, “I feel funny inside,” so Frank carries her to the car as fast as he can. They rush off to the hospital, but they get stuck behind a semi going slow. There’s a car coming in the other lane, so he tries to pass the semi on the right side of the road, but he fails to see a culvert wall. They get into a crash, and Cora dies. Frank goes to prison because everyone thinks he tried to kill Cora, so he could have her estate. The book ends with Frank finding out he’s been sentenced with the death penalty. The last few sentences of the book are, “Here they come. Father McConnell says prayers help. If you’ve got this far, send up one for me, and Cora, and make it that we’re together, wherever it is.” When I read this, I finally realized how much Frank did love Cora. I think it took so long for me to know for sure because he was such a rough character who never really talked about his true emotions and feelings. He had told Cora he loved her, but I doubted it when he went away with Marge. At the end, I knew that Cora was the only woman he had ever loved. When I think about Frank and Cora’s relationship, the first word that comes to my mind is weird. That’s because they were always so fickle about each other. They couldn’t make a decision about what to do with their lives. They were always fighting, but then they would get drunk and make up. To me, that didn’t sound like love; it just sounded like lust. Maybe it was just how Cain wrote it that made it sound like that. I also thought they were very selfish for killing the Greek just so they could be together. When I thought about it though, at that time, divorce was almost unheard of, so I’m sure that’s the only solution Frank and Cora thought they had. Now that I really think about their relationship, I know that they really loved each other. There were just many obstacles in their way, so they got frustrated and fought all the time. I feel that Frank would do just about anything for Cora if it came down to it. Even though I didn’t like their relationship at first, in the end, I really just wanted them to be together. Then Cora died, and I found out that Frank was writing the story while in prison, and I was terribly sad. I felt so awful for him, but then, when he prayed for he and Cora to be together, I thought maybe it was a good thing that they were both going to be dead, then maybe they could at least be together in the next life.

Week 6 Fahrenheit 451

Dylan Schulz

               To start off I’d have to say this is probably one of my favorite books I have had to read for school. I’m not a big reader by any means unless it’s and S. E. Hinton book but this book was really legitimately good. It was not too short nor too long it was a good sized little novel and the whole concept was so creative and clever I could not get enough. The beginning and middle of the book are pretty fast moving which made an easy read. Towards the end it slowed down and simply wanting to know what happened is what kept me going.

               In the book Guy’s character changes a lot and by the end he is so so much different than at the beginning when he is Joe Bookburner, but in saying that he is also a lot of the same. Growing up in the society he did seems to have had this devastating effect on him and most characters. They can not think for themselves. This horrific truth seems to haunt Guy through out his journey. He is always somewhat uncertain about what to do in sketchy situations and people can sway him somewhat with ease because of it. Characters like Beatty, and Faber especially capitalize on this fact, it seems they can get Guy to do whatever they please in some instances.

               Guy goes through a lot of conflicts I mean his wife tried to kill herself and then later she betrays him and ratted him out for his stash of books! That you know what, that is so awful and to top it off Beatty makes him burn his own house down!! Because Guy seems to do whatever he’s told he does it then is placed under arrest. That would have devastated me if my own wife did that I would lose my mind or at least divorce her. But Guy gets even with Beatty and torches his behind just fries the mean man. This was probably one of my favorite parts I love when an underdog gets his revenge especially when it means one charred mean son of a gun.

               At this point Guy is really starting to even the score he knocks out another fireman and runs to a stash of his and uses it to frame another fireman that’s karma if ever saw it. The book slowly dies off from here after the big intense chase but it ends with a hope that Guy is doing the right thing with the Book people searching to save society one town at a time.

Now I know this is a day late but its done now sorry Mrs. Brannan.

Week 6: My Antonia

A lot has happened since the last time I have blogged. The Burden family has rented out their farm and has moved to town. While in town Jim began attended school. Shortly after the Burden family moved to town Antonia got hired at their neighbor’s house to help clean and cook. Jim absolutely loved having Antonia so close to him. He grew very fond of her; however, Antonia never showed that she felt the same way. I believe that later in the book that Antonia and Jim will end up getting married.

The summer after they moved to town a dance company came into town. Once a week everyone from town gathered together for dancing lessons. These lessons were the highlight to everyone’s week. After the dance company left, the town decided to open up their own dance studio. Everyone always wanted to dance with Antonia and her friend, Lena Lingard. This fact made Jim extremely jealous. At the same time, however, Antonia was very protective over who Jim spent time with and danced with. At this point in the story, I was confused about if they both liked each other why they never told each other.

Now I’m going to jump ahead a little ways to get to the next interesting story. C: Jim moved to Lincoln, Nebraska to attend the University. During his second year at the University Lena Lingard, who had opened a sewing shop in town, visited him at his room. When she knocked on the door Jim had absolutely no idea who stood before him. After the awkward introduction, they spent much time together during that year. Jim slowly fell in love with Lena. He had started pulling away from his studies in order to spend more time with her. Jim’s friend thought it would good for him if Jim followed him to Harvard. At first, Jim despised this idea. He decided to ask Lena if she felt the same way about Jim as he did for her. Sadly… she didn’t. Lena stated that she would never marry. The next year Jim went to study at Harvard where he finished his education.

After he was done with his education he decided to go back home to his grandparents. While he was there he heard that Antonia had a baby, but she wasn't married. The baby’s father left Antonia. It was a disgrace if a woman had a child without being married. However, Antonia never let this fact bother her. She showed off her baby! What I like most about Antonia is that she won’t let anything or anyone stop her from what she wants to do. I admire for her strength and her individuality.

This week’s reading ended with Jim trying to figure out the exact story about what happened to Antonia while he was gone. I really enjoy reading this book. I love the plot and the characters. I never want to put down the book once I pick it up. 

Week 6

I am still reading 1984. I haven't been getting a lot of time to read because of work again. I still have not found a book that I am 100% into reading yet. This book is getting more and more about the government. It is also pretty hard to read. At some points it even gets pretty confusing. Winston knows that there is something wrong with the government and I get the impression that he really does want to make a difference and make a change for the better. It is very hard to do though when you are being watched by the government all the time. I think that we all can some what relate to this book because it seems like our government is getting more and more involved in everything. I just feel like they are trying to take more and more of our freedoms away every day.

They have these bills that go to the house that try restricting seat belt laws and other dumb things that should be our choice. Winston wasn't able to express his opinion and or his emotion about what he thought of the government. I couldn't even imagine not being able to do whatever I want when I want, let alone not even being able to think about what I think it right. I am not really sure what else to write about in this blog because all this book is about it just how the government is getting crazier and crazier.

I do have a few questions though. My first question is what is going to happen in the end when they find out about him. My second one is will his legacy of trying to change the government live on?

week six, the catcher in the rye

          

After Stradlater gets home from his date he reads the composition that Holden wrote for him. He was annoyed because it had nothing to do with the assignment. Holden tore the paper up and threw it away. And then Holden smokes a cigarette in the room just to annoy Stradlater. Holden finally asked Stradlater about his date with Jane. Stradlater wouldn’t tell Holden any of the details so Holden attacks him. Stradlater tried to calm Holden down by holding him down on the floor but Holden insults Stradlater so he punches Holden and gave him a bloody nose. I don’t think it was necessary that Stradlater punched Holden. I think that he could have handled it a little more maturely. I also don’t think that Holden needed to insult Stradlater.

That night Holden tries to fall asleep but can’t stop thinking about Jane and Stradlater. Holden talks to Ackley about it but he gets annoyed so he leaves. He decided that he was going to leave for New York that night. Holden walked to the train station and caught a late train to New York. On the train he meets one of his classmate’s mom. Holden doesn’t like the boy so he lies to his mom. He tells her that his name is Rudolph Schmidt, who is actually the janitor. Holden tells her he is headed to New York for a brain tumor operation. I don’t think Holden should have lied to the lady about all this stuff, especially the brain tumor.

             When Holden gets to Penn Station he can’t think of anyone to call so he takes a cab to the Edmont Hotel. His cab driver didn’t seem interested in talking but he tried to make conversation. When he got his room he decided to call a girl named Faith Cavendish. He got her number from a boy at a party. Holden tries to make a date with her but she refuses. She tells him she needs her beauty sleep. But she did offer to meet with him the next day. Holden doesn’t want to wait that long and he hangs up without setting up a time or place to meet her. I don’t think Holden should be so selfish about not being able to see Faith. He should have set something up with her.
            Holden doesn’t ever discuss his feelings. He didn’t talk to Stradlater about how he felt when he took Jane on a date. He didn’t tell Faith that he was angry that she wouldn’t meet him that night. I think that if Holden would discuss his feelings he wouldn’t be so stressed. He seems like he tries to impress people by making them think he doesn’t have any emotion. If he told people how he felt they would understand and wouldn’t judge him. They could help him decided what to do in the situation.
            This book is getting better and better each page I read. Some chapters make me want to read till the end but others don’t interest me very much. Hopefully ill be done with it in the next two weeks. I’m not a reading kind of person.

week 7 new book.. yay

I just finished reading Catcher in the Rye, all i can say about the ending is that i did not like it. It feels like it just left me hanging there with very little of an idea as to what happened next in his life. It was kind of a bummer for me because i got so into this character and everything Holden Caulfield was so it is disappointing to get an ending like that. Besides the disappointing ending though, i thought it was a good book and i would even go back and re-read a little bit of it again. Probably just the first half of the book though, that was my favorite part because it felt most interesting.

Even though i liked Catcher in the Rye, it is a bit of a relief to go on to another book. Holdens character was getting repetitive and, although funny, slightly annoying. It is kind of nice to move on to some new characters and not the stay on the same one which was focused on for a whole book. Now i am reading about the world of Winston Smith in the book "1984" by George Orwell.

I like the book so far, it is very interesting imagining a world that is completely censored because i live in the United States, one of the most free countries there is. Although it is interesting, it can be very depressing sometimes. The scenes described in this book always seem dark, worn away, and cold. So this can make it a little hard to read.

The beginning starts off with the main character writing in a book about basically nothing, except for a few flashbacks which make you understand who the character is and what he believes a little more. Once you find out using a book is illegal you find out he is against the government (Big Brother) which seeks to control every citizen under its area.

Everything is so watched in the city that the character even says "Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull." This is scary to me, i dont know about other people, but i wouldn't want to be monitored all the time in everything i do. That would make me go crazy or something. Scary stuff, i hope that Winston breaks out of this control and finds others who want to rebel against it.

In the story there are supposed to be many other people that are secretly against Big Brother but Winston doesn't know anything besides that people are caught everyday for conspiring against the government. Maybe Winston will find some people and work along with them. Or maybe he will make his own anti-government group. I will keep reading and let you know what happens next week.

Week 6

Well I finished 1984 by George Orwell.  I was a good book but I was a little put off by the ending.  Winston and Julia are captured by the ministry of love and are tortured both physically and mentally.  Winston is told by a torturer named O’Brien "Never again will you be capable of love, or friendship, or joy of living -- We shall squeeze you empty and then we shall fill you with ourselves".  Winston and Julia had thought that the government could never take away there love, in the end they are proven wrong.  When Winston gets back to his boring life he betrays his love of Julia to Big Brother.  This is a sad part because it proves to the readers that government can control you.  I think the book had to end like this though for George Orwell to prove his point.  He shows how overboard the government can go and heeds the warning.  I wish the book would have went the way I wanted it to, I had wanted Winston and Julia to start a rebellion, to get rid of this crazy world they live in but they were basically brainwashed.  I am starting a new book now called The Hobbit.  I think I will like this book more than 1984.  I watched all of the Lord of the Ring movies and read most of the books and enjoyed them all. I have been told that The Hobbit is what happens before the Lord of the Rings has officially started.  They also made a movie called The Hobbit based on this book so once I am done reading I will get to watch the movie and see how closely they followed the story line.  I am hoping I get to see Gandalf and what happens to make his character, him.  I have not started this book yet because the librarians still hate me because I keep forgetting to bring my book back so I avoid the library at all costs.  The blonde one knows m name and I see her twice a day, speaking of which she walked into the classroom as I was typing this.  I plan on going to the public library sometime this weekend and getting it then I get more than two weeks plus I won’t have to deal with the bratty librarians.  The other day I was in the library and the brown haired one started screaming at two girls who were at the wrong computers, then made them move and pushed the rolly chairs away as hard as she cold.  I would’ve been slightly scared , buut she is an old lady, not too intimidating.  Well It looks like this is the end of the blog, sorry about the rant on the librarians, a majority of them need an attitude check.  Maybe we just need nicer librarians, like cute old grandmas! Not these rude ladies. So that is all for this blog so see you later my modern literature blog.

week 6 The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien starts out in a village full of hobbits. There about half the size of anormal human and live very simple, avoiding any kind of war or fighting. Gandolf, a wizard, comes to visit his hobbit friend Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is the main character and he is a wealthy, standard hobbit who's never really traveled and lives a low key life in his home thats built into a hill. Gandolf is a very powerful wizard with a pointy hat. The two talk and have tea and Gandolf leaves. When Gandolf leaves he puts a mark on the door without Bilbo knowing. At this point i'm wondering where the stories going and figured that the mark has to mean something.

The next day, twelve dwarfes pile into Bilbos house like they own the place competley unannonced asking for food and drink. Dwarfes are shorter than humans but taller than hobbits but are very thick and heavy and they have long beards. I figured out by now that Gandolf had something to do with this and the mark on the door was to tell the dwarfes where to go. After a bit, Gandolf comes in and the explantion as to the dwarfes are there comes out. Without telling Bilbo, Gandolf told the dwarfes that Bilbo was an expert burgular and would go on their journey with them. The dwarfes journey was to go back the mountain that dwarfes used to live and take back their kindom and treasure from a dragon that had taken it from the dwarfes ancestors. Here i'm confused because why would they need a burglar and why Bilbo considering he's not burgalar. After much barginning and a promise of the treasure, Bilbo reluctanly agrees to go on their journey. I can tell that Bilbo is more adventurous then what he seems being that he agrees to go on a long, dangerous journey with 12 strangers on 1 day notice. So the 14 of them set out on the journey.

At first, it was easy going, they had plenty of food and were riding ponies. But the further they went the further into the wild it was and their high spirits were quickly dying. After a while, they ran out of food and it started to rain very hard. All Bilbo thought was being back at his hobbit hole by the fire with plenty of food to eat. When he's decribing that, it reminds me of when i'm out hunting. Some days when your cold and your feet are wet and you aren't having any luck all you think of is being back at home.

Blog 6- It's Getting Better

Since my last blog, I’ve started to enjoy my book, The Postman Always Rings Twice, more than before. It had an upbeat pace from the beginning, but I just wasn’t really understanding or feeling for the characters yet. I left off in my last blog at the part where Frank is deciding whether or not he should work for the Greek again. He decides to, and he and Cora basically pick up where they left off. They form another plan to kill the Greek with a “fake” car accident. This time, they succeed, but they are still taken to court because of suspicions. They eventually are sentenced “not guilty,” and they go back to live together at the restaurant. However, since Frank is a “bum,” as Cora calls him, he doesn’t like to stay in one place for long, so he wants her to go away with him to live somewhere else. He claims that it’s because everything around the restaurant reminds him of the Greek, and he wants to get away from it all. However, Cora doesn’t want to move; the restaurant is doing well, and she doesn’t like to “roam around.” Then, Cora gets a call saying that her mother is sick, so she goes away for a week. Frank meets a girl named Marge, who has wild jungle cats as pets, outside the restaurant, and he decides to go away with her for a week. While he’s with her, he tells her he’s willing to help her catch some jungle cats just because she asked him if he would. When I read that, it came as a complete shock to me. Here, he acted like he was “so in love” with Cora, but then he goes away with some girl he just met while Cora’s at her mother’s funeral. I was quite angry, actually. I don’t care for Cora that much either, but I still feel terrible for her. Cain doesn’t write if Frank and Marge had sex, so I don’t think that they did, but either way, it’s still very inappropriate. I mean, it’s inappropriate that Cora and Frank are together at all because they killed her husband, but it’s even worse that Frank might be cheating on Cora now. I’m at the part where Frank does tell Cora that he went away while she was gone, and Cora doesn’t care, but he hasn’t told her any details yet. I’m curious to see if he will, or if he’s going to keep this from her. Honestly, I don’t think Cora would be that surprised, just because it’s so something Frank would do, but if my boyfriend even hung out with another girl alone without telling me about it, and I found out, I’d be pretty upset. Maybe if he told me about it beforehand and explained the situation, I would understand, but if I had to find out from someone else, I don’t think the relationship would last very long. I’m a lot more interested in the book now, but I’m still hoping that the ending is good. I’m almost done with it; I just hope the end isn’t disappointing.

1984

I finished 1984! Overall I did enjoy the read. It was not too difficult of a book to read or understand. I am a very picky reader, in order to keep up with reading a book I need to like it a lot.  At first I really didn’t enjoy reading 1984, but once everything started coming together and opening up I began to like it more. One of the most interesting things for me about the book was how it is about the future government. Lately, government and war have been popular topics all around the world. This book kind of opened my eyes.  If we don’t start doing something about all of the changes, in my opinion, something like 1984 could very well happen to the United States of America. This would not be good.

Now for the big question what in the world happened at the end? Initially I really did think that Winston died, and his physical existence was forever forgotten. But then I reread it and reread it, and thought about it. It was very surprising, and confusing too. It’s all over no more rebelling, hiding his true thoughts and feelings. He has fallen into the rut, and the one thing he didnt want to happen, happened. This is SO disappointing. I wanted Winston to change something. And make a difference, which he may have a little yes, but not in the way I was hoping for. Winston, in a sense, gives up.  I think Orwell had it end this way to make the readers think. To make them think how there is no escape when something this powerful develops. In the book Animal Farms one theme is power corrupts, I got a similar feeling while reading 1984. Not in the sense that is corrupts it leader, because Big Brother had to be evil already, but that is corrupts even the people that leader is controlling. They get so much shoved into there head that is pure crap, that they just start to believe it and live a lie subconsciously knowing it is wrong. (If that makes any sense at all) So much power to one particular area or person is not good and not much good can come from it.

Living in the world that Orwell created in 1984 would be terribly hard. Not being able to think freely, hiding your thoughts, it is hardly imaginable. Winston had a lot of guts to stand up for what he believed was the right way to live, but in the end was not as succesful as i had hoped for.  It is a downer. I expected the ending to be much different.  I expected Winston to die standing up for what he believed in and die fighting.  There is no escaping Big Brother now.

Overall this was an educational book. I enjoyed when it started to get more exciting. It was an eye opener to what could really be out there, and what can really happen in this world.

East of Eden week 6

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Week 6

And so continues this slow, but interesting book. What I am actually going to do it stop the story of Charles and Adam here for now and introduce you all to a….”special” character named Cathy. Such an innocent name, what could possibly go wrong? Surely with Adam and Charles’ life continuing to be rocky shouldn’t there be a character to help raise up the two young men to a straighter and healthier path?

Haha, no.

Cathy is a sadistic, witch who was born beautiful, but flawed. She was born without the ability to give or receive any form of love or kindness. So Cathy goes around her whole life just twisting and exploiting people for her own personal gain without any inkling of remorse.

                To start off this retched tale, Cathy manipulated her school teacher into loving her and there for receiving the perfect grades for sexual favors and such. Cathy realizing this was getting out of her hands and would eventually turn out badly for her dropped the teacher and let him fall into a deep state of depression, so deep in fact that he goes to her home late at night and the  one to answer the door is her father who turns him away not knowing why in the world the teacher would be on his front porch. The school teacher that same night went to the town church and committed suicide at the alter.

Cathy’s father had a growing business at the house, she learned the trade and helped often with the work, and once she knew financing inside, outside, and upside down, she decided the perfect way to get the deposit money on the company without causing any bout of alarm or more importantly, suspicion from the townsfolk. Drum rolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll……………..SHE STAGED THE DEATH OF HER AND HER PARENTS. But she actually killed her parents. And burned down the house. And burned the company building right next door. And made it look all like a murder that she did not commit.

Cathy is smart, so smart that she goes to a whoremaster and gets hired, and starts work far from her birth home.   She has over $4,000 in her pocket from the business deposit from the bank, she is locked, loaded, and out of the prying eyes of good townspeople.

She actually eventually seduces the whoremaster, and conveniently gets a whole house to herself out in the woods far, again, from prying eyes. The perfect setting for a murderess.

But, how do Cathy, Adam, and Charles link together? This doesn’t make any sense. You may be wondering, but further into the book and deeper into the details, and at a later date, one will soon realize how the nasty Cathy and our innocent men come to meet. Trust me. It is absolutely not a pretty sight. When I read it I first thought that Cathy deserved everything that she was dealt, but then, she was given a second chance she was absolutely unworthy of. Rawr.

Week 6

A Farewell to Arms by: Ernest Hemingway
Dylan Hatzenbuhler

   In chapter XI Henry is still wounded chilling in his bunker looking out the windows.  When sitting their the priest comes inside and greets Henry.  He sees if Henry is feeling better and Henry sees the priest is tired to.  (which isn't normal)  The priest hands Henry some packages and in the package was a mosquito netting, Vermouth, and a folder with a newspaper called "The News of the World."  Henry loves knowing the things around the world.  I think its great that the priest would take care of Henry when getting wounded in the war.  Its also great that he takes care of his crew to when they lost one of their own. 

   Through out the chapter the doctor asks him if they can ship him to a American hospital for further treatment.  All the doctors are eager to get people out to get the beds ready for the attack that's about to happen.  The men get so drunk before heading to the American hospital in Milan where Catherine is working at.  Henry sets off for Milan; He's so drunk before heading to the hospital that he vomits all over the floor.  I think its awful that you'd put your body through all that booze when you wounded and all you need is your rest.  Two days later Henry shows up in Milan, two ambulance drivers carry him in to the hospital.(which the two men carrying him cause him a lot of pain).  Henry orders for a lot of things, but can't get the doctors to get it for him.  By the end of the night his nurse Miss. Van Campensends him a glass of eggnog spiked with sherry for a peace offering.  When being at this hospital you cannot drink things that the doctor has prescribed, so the next chapter starts out with the nurse finding the bottle of Vermouth under his bed.  Henry thinks he's going to get into trouble, but instead the nurse wanted to drink too.

   Later that day a barber comes into shave Henry and begins to threaten him rudely thinking he is an Austrian soldier and was close to cutting his throat.  After they leave Catherine shows up and Henry pulls her onto his bed and finally makes love with her.  
  
 Henry meets a new doctor later that day and he begins examining him and taking the shrapnel from his leg, which makes him very exhausted from the operation.  Than the doc sends Henry for x-rays.  Later three doctors show up to conduct on the case.  They agree that six months before have an operation.  Two hours later another doctor shows up, Dr. Valentini.  He is a cheerful, energetic, and competent.  He hands Henry a drink and agrees to perform any operation in the morning. 

  That morning Catherine is cleaning him getting him ready for his operation while she asks, "tell me, how many people have you loved?"  With a reply "nobody."  Catherine spends the night with Henry; Henry is worried that they might get into trouble , but Catherine believes everyone is sleeping.  After the operation Henry gets very sick as he recovers.  While recovering three men come into the hospital sick, two of the men have Malaria and the other was trying to unscrew the fuse cap from an explosive for a souvenir.   (why would you even wanna try to take the time to take the fuse cap off, I would run and get the heck out of there.)

During the summer, Henry learns to walk again but with crutches and can't stop loving Catherine.  They pretend to themselves that they are married but Henry has other things to worry about instead of getting married.

Week 6

1984 By George Orwell

Winston has the job of rewriting time making something that a person that was vaporized disappears so no one knows about it. What I found interesting about this part was the way the date was written. It was December 3^rd 1983 that he had to change the newspaper. But the way they write it was like 3.12.83. I found that really weird. When he rewrote this paper his made up a different person that did all this amazing stuff like turning in his uncle for thought crimes and making a grenade. It was like everything he wanted to do he put in one person.

                The next part of the book Winston and Syme were talking about razor blades. At that time they were not making anymore because of the war. Winston had 2 extra but didn’t want to share them with Syme who really need a new one. Then they were going to lunch and were talking about the hanging of the enemies. How Syme hated when they tied there feet together they don’t struggle as much do it wasn’t that fun to watch.

                When I read this part I was so surprise on what they were talking about. Why would you talk about that? That’s just not right. But this is the life they live in the book they enjoy things like that. The next topic was the new dictionary that was coming out that Syme was working. Syme was working on writing the dictionary. I got a laugh we I read this. When Syme said that they were taking bad out of the dictionary and putting ungood in couldn’t believe that was true. Then when you wanted to say something was better they changed that to plusgood. That doesn’t make any sense to me but in this book that’s what they do/say.

                Later on that day when Winston went home he took his diary out and started writing. At this time I found out that he had a wife named Katharine. That was a shock but I also believe that, that’s why he doesn’t like women.  They parted way because at this time divorce wasn’t an option but Winston said that they have be parted for about 10 years or so but he couldn’t remember. I feel that that’s something that you would want to remember that was you wife. Well they were married they had one big problem and I think that’s why he chooses to forget about her. Katharine didn’t like sex I know it kind of weird to talk about it. But well they were together she called it “making a baby” or “our duty to the party”. They had set days that they would do it and if it didn’t work they would just keep trying until they both got tired of it and decide to part ways.

Week 6 The Heart is a lonely hunter

Finally I feel like this book is going somewhere! But I am sad to say that I think this book is going to take a turn for the worse. The next section goes back to John Singer. I feel like something big has changed in his life...or maybe it is only being noticed now because he can’t really show his real self to others by not talking. It seems as though John is suddenly sad. He misses his friend deeply, writing hundreds of letters to him although he never sends them, knowing that he can not read. I get this feeling that John feels almost lost without his friend at his side. He spends a large amount of time going through memories and thinking about what he would be doing if his friend was still with him.

All the other characters in this book seem to have a very strong want to be Mr. Singers friend. I wonder why that is...I feel like he is a nice person but how could you be so interested in someone who can not even communicate with you? I don’t mean that in a rude way...but it’s almost as if the other characters (Especially Mick Kelly) have an obsession with him, constantly wondering what the man is doing or if it would be a good time to visit. I think that the others have this idea of him that Mr. Singer is almost like a perfect man, perfectly happy and content and they wish to see that within their own somewhat disorientated lives. But I know that John seems lonely, his life isn't remarkable in any way and I think he regrets having something so normal and repetitive. It seems as though his only source of happiness is the rare times when he gets to visit Antonapoulos. He leaves quickly, without telling anyone where he is going and then pretends he doesn't understand when someone asks why he left.

Another thing I found interesting is once again the character of Mick Kelly. It seems as though a little time has passed and she is now in her freshman year of high school. Mick has started to dress more appropriately, choosing skirts and sweaters rather than her boyish and worn out shorts. She still has a great passion for classical music, something I find interesting seeing as she was quite a troublemaker and rebel as a child. Mick is constantly composing songs in her head, thinking about traveling to other places and planning what she wants to do when she is a famous composer. She also visits Mr.Singers room everyday. I feel like maybe she looks up to him as a fatherly figure? I still can’t help but notice that her parents are rarely mentioned, as though they barely see her or maybe they just don’t pay attention? I wonder if her parents really don’t have a big influence in her life or if the author just decided to leave them out for the sake of time?

Anyway, I hope that my initial guess is wrong and everything turns out alright with John Singer. I am almost done with this book...at least more than halfway through and I hope to see somewhat of a real plot develop soon.

Week 6

Crazy things have happened in my book. Winston and Julia have been caught by the police! They were spending the day together in the room Winston rented and they fell asleep. They didn’t wake up till the next morning when the telescreen behind the picture started to talk. They had no clue that there was a telescreen in the room and it turns out they have been listening to them for a very long time. When they took the picture off of the wall they revealed the screen with a person looking at them. He ordered them to stand back to back with their hands in the air and to stand still and not to talk. Winston became very frightened about what would happen to them. They heard footsteps from the police coming up the stairs and the sounds of choppers outside. When they entered the room they threw Winston and Julia to the ground. Winston held still for he knew that if he made any movement he would be hit or kicked.

                Winston woke up in a white room. He was sitting on a hard bench by himself. There were four telescreens in the room. When he made a little bit of movement a person would yell at him from the telescreen to sit still. There were guards outside of the room standing watch. Suddenly the door opened and a woman was rushed in. She was there for prostitution. Not even and hour later a guard came in and told her to go to room 101. As the day went on people came and go with guards, and all of them were ordered to room 101. What was in room 101? Suddenly, Winston’s co-worker O’Brian came into the room. He was there for hate crimes against Big Brother. He was very surprised to see Winston there with him.

                Winston had been in the room for hours when two guards were ordered to take him for his confession. They tortured him for hours to get him to confess to crimes he had never committed. The punched, kicked, pulled hair, mocked, and shamed him. He knew they weren’t going to kill him until they got all of his crimes out of him, but he wished that they did kill him because the torture was getting worse. To make matters worse, he didn’t know where Julia was. He had realized that he hadn’t thought of her for all day. He wondered where she was, if she was okay, or if she was dead. Then a guard came into his torture chamber and ordered him to room 101.

                I really do wonder what is in room 101 and if it is worse than the torture. Most of the people that have gone to room 101 begged not to be sent there, so I know it is going to be bad. I am also wondering where Julia is. Wouldn’t she be sent to the same holding cell as Winston, or was she killed when they were arrested? One thing that came to mind was maybe she was apart of the police and she was using him to build up charges of hate crimes against him. But I guess we will have to wait and see.

Week 6 Blog

As I am near the end of the book I just realized something, this book doesn’t have chapters. It just has three different parts to the book. I thought this was strange and I really didn’t even notice it until I was close to the end? So it made me wonder, why are there chapters to books? I mean do we really play that close of attention to them? I obviously don’t. However, as the Captain is trying to explain to Montag why what they’re doing is okay the Captain says “Montag, take my word for it, I’ve had to read a few in my time, to know what I was about, and the books say nothing! Nothing you can teach or believe.”  What a hypocrite right! What makes it okay for the Captain to be able to read the books but no one else? Why didn’t his house get burnt down than?

After the captain left, Montag decided to show Mildred something that he has hidden from her for a while now. He had been hiding several books in the air conditioning vent for quite some time now and Mildred had no idea. I think this is almost as bad as cheating on your wife I mean he knows the consequences that would take place if anyone found out about the books and his wife has no idea that her house contains any books at all. Well why would she ever even think twice her husband is a fireman. After he filled Mildred in what was going on I believe  he already had his mind made up on what he was going to have to do. He ended up visiting a guy that he ran into a few years back and they got a plan together on what to do. However he had to pay one more visit to the Captain before they followed through with the plan. When Montag was at the fire station they ended up getting a call and Montag was forced to go because if he didn’t than the Captain would get suspicious and know that Montag was up to something. As they approached the house Montag and the Captain were in disbelief to find out that it was Montag and Mildreds home. Could you imagine having that feeling inside you pulling up to your own house? I don’t know what I would do.

When Montag was talking to his old friend he said “That’s the good part of dying; when you’ve nothing to lose, you run any risk you want.” So at Montag’s house the Captain announced to everyone that Montag was going to burn down the house all by himself and when he was done he was under arrest. This is when the quote struck me. What will Montag do. I mean either way his life is over with. His wife left him, he wasn’t going to have a house, he has no job, and he was going to jail. What does he really have to his name to live for? After the house was burnt to nothing Montag looked at the Captain and said “we never burned right” and scorched him with fire and right before he was about to take off on the run he said one last thing to Beatty, “you always said don’t face a problem, burn it. Well now I’ve done both. Goodbye, Captain. This is interesting to me because I think so many people today don’t face their problems and they just run away from them. Seriously you make your own bed you lie in. What is running away going to do for you? Nothing it is just going to push it back until you are forced to deal with it later on and by than you probably have a lot more problems piled up that you ran from.

week 6: for whom the bell tolls by Ernest Hemingway
im reading for whom the bell tolls. this is a book written by ernest hemingway. in not too far in the book yet but from what i've read i really like the book. when you read the first few pages you get a real taste of how ernest puts imagery into his books. in the first few pages you are put into a military situation with a few soldiers who are looking to blow up a bridge that the enemies are  going to try to cross. the way that ernest descrides the scenery and the way he shows the landscape through his detailed descriptions. the soldiers break off into different ranks and go scouting for the enimies. when a few enines are discovered the plan to blow the bridge gets re-thought. the generals tell the soldires not to blow the bridge until the enimies are actually crossing it that way the soldiers go with the bridge.
i really do like the way he describes his whole book. im less than 100 pages in and i think i might say this is my favorite book so  far. i like the fact that it starts out in a military manner. the book isnt slow either, the book has alot of action and moves quite fast. a few characters are introduced in the first few pages. the first character to be introduced is Anselmo. he is an older gentleman who runs into a younger gentleman in the woods and offers him help. Anselmo helps the young man and discovers that he is part of the army and is having second thoughts about heping the man because he is against the war. the soldiers all go scouting and they find a cave where the stay for a few days and camp out while they wait for the enimies to cross the bridge on the river. over the course of those few days the soldiers lay low and keep to themselves. they tell stories of thier home life and what they plann on doing when the civil war is over.
i highly advise this book to anyone who is looking for a book that they dont wanna put down. when i have down time i read the book and get deeper into the characters and the scenes that they are in. the book is a little longer than all my other books have been but its well worth it. the civil war was a very bloody war and it was a war that was surrounded by death and the loss of loved ones. this book really tells how the war was like. people died in grusome ways and the way ernest describes the deaths and the scenery is un-matched. i read two science fiction books last time that both were fantastic books and both had great imagery but nothing i have read in a while compares to the way ernest puts realism into the way he writes.

Week 6: The Grapes of Rath

     Well I finished reading The Grapes of Rath and though Ms. Brannan said I would love the ending, I hated it, a lot. I do not like books that randomly end and this seemed exactly that. The only person who has a chance of living happily ever after is Al, and we aren't even sure if that happens.
     Tom, the main character of the whole book, just goes off and leaves because he killed another guy. I completely understand why he killed the guy but still, I feel like they could have followed Tom a little in the end to show him going and helping strikers. As a reader, you almost assume he will die because even Tom doesn't have hope that he will live, but I'd still like some clarity. Leaving you guessing just leaves you to basically finish his story.
     Also, Rose of Sharon's baby dies. Well according to the book the baby never "lived." As a strong Catholic I believe life begins at conception, but I understand what Steinbeck was trying to say. Then, Uncle John was supposed to go bury they baby,but then he just floats it down the stream for the people who don't like the "Okies" to find. He wants to send a message to them that this is what they are doing to humans, they are killing their babies. I think this is a courageous way to protest, but at the same time it is a little creepy. Also, what would happen if Rose or the mom saw the baby? That would be completely devastating for them.
     The rest of the family is living in a flooding boxcar and are unable to get out.So Rose, the mom, and the two kids run to this abandoned barn. When they get their, there is a boy and his father huddled in the corner. The father is dying because he was sick and hadn't eaten in six days. The boy asked them if they had food or milk or money to buy any and they didn't. So Rose decides to breastfeed a 40 year old. I understand that times were tough and these people were completely desperate, but still, I think it was gross and WAY too much information.
      After she's breast feeding the guy, the book just ends. So you really don't know what happens. I really don't like when authors do this because it's kind of like them saying, "Well I'm sick of writing, I think I'll just let it stop right hear even though none of the problems have been solved." This is an ending that a book with a sequel,but yet, it doesn't.
      Despite the ending, I loved most of the book. Well about half to be exact. All of the description was just a little too much for me, but the story was great. By the end I couldn't put the book down. Then I got to the end and I actually turned the page to see if there was more even though I already knew there wasn't. Overall I would probably recommend the book only if the person reading it is patient.