To Kill a Mockingbird -- Post # 5

--Post # 5--

Chapters 18-24

Atticus Finch

Inside, I knew that we never really had a chance. I knew that since Tom was a black man, it didn't really matter at all what we had to say. But I did like to pretend that somehow, we might be able to convince them. Pretending is fun, but it just makes the truth that much harder to take. If only for just one second these crazy people were able to set aside their outrageous prejudice, and just see this case as a settlement between two equal people instead of a white man and a black man then we would have won. Tom did nothing to deserve this. He is one of the bravest people I have ever met and I swore to protect him the best I could. Now he is dead. I just don't believe it. I suppose I knew that people are capable of doing things this horrible, but I didn't want to believe it. I wonder if it actually happened like they said it did, or if they were planning to kill him the whole time and managed to do it as subtly as they could. But 17 bullet holes? One would have been enough.  I have no way of knowing what really happened and I don't think that I really want to know. 

As for Ms. Mayella Ewell, I just feel sorry for her as well. I can't imagine what it would be like to live a life when you are always scared of being beaten by your own father. Everyone is making a big fuss about how Mr. Bob Ewell came up to me and spit on my face and threatened me. Of course he needed to take his anger out on someone, and I am just glad that it isn't Mayella. The poor girl can use a break from that. She must have been scared out of her wits the whole time. I can't find it in myself to blame her for anything that happened. It was all her father. That man is a plain fraud. How he can live with himself  I will never know. He is the most disgusting, racist, evil man anyone will ever meet. You can't be lower than that man. I wish for that just 10 minutes that he and Tom's roles were reversed. Then maybe he would understand the cruel thing he is doing. 

Jem seems to be taking this whole thing pretty hard. Just wait until he finds out that Tom is dead. The poor boy doesn't understand any more than I do how people have it in them to be so cruel. He is so young and innocent that he understands that race shouldn't matter. That it is completely irrelevant. No adults seem to understand it. I hope that he will soon grasp the fact that it is out of control. This case proves that. I wish that he and Scout didn't have to see the case. I didn't want them there. I wonder how much of it Scout understands. She can be so good at hiding her emotions. Everyone is so worried about how I am raising her up, and that she ain't coming out right, like a lady. But to me Scout is one of the best, most interesting people I know. I don't want her to change. I really truly deeply hope that this whole experience only affects my children in a good way. I can't seem to see how it would, but it may somehow. And after all, it isn't time to worry yet. 

To Kill a Mockingbird -- Post # 4

--Journal # 4--

Chapters 13-15

Dill Harris

"Jem?" I heard Scout ask. "How does a snake feel?"  

"Sort of rough. Cold. Dusty. Why?" Jem replied through his door. 

"I think theres one under my bed. Can you come look?" Hah! Scout had thought I was a snake. Do I feel like a snake? What a silly thing to assume. I remember thinking that I should probably come out soon. Well, maybe I'll wait just a few minutes, let her be scared. 
"Are you bein' funny?" Jem said as he walked in. I guess Jem realized that Scout was serious, because the next thing I knew, there was a broom stuck in my face. I dodged it the first time, but he got me the second, and I grunted in pain. He must of been pretty surprised since he was oblivious of the fact that a person was hiding under Scout's bed opposed to a snake. I knew I had to come out then so I crawled forward and out from under the bed. Boy, did it feel good to stand up after laying all cramped up down there. Scout and Jem sure were surprised all right. I told them my long winding story about how I got there and they both seemed real worried. Who cares what my parents think? They don't care about me. They never wanted me around, so I left. End of story, no one needed to be upset. And then Jem went and betrayed me. He went and got Atticus for goodness sakes.I guess he just wanted a defendant. I knew some grown up was going to find out eventually, but did it have to be right now? I was so hungry and tired, I just wanted to eat something and go to sleep in a warm bed, not get yelled at! But Atticus wasn't that mad after all, just worried like the others. I decided not to be mad at Jem. Then I ate some nice warm food. I was so hungry! How long had it been since I last ate? One, maybe two days! I needed food bad. And then I crawled in bed with Jem and finally got to go to sleep. 


After every one got over the initial shock of me showing up in Maycomb alone, no one was really mad. I indulged in seconds for every meal the next day, I was still so hungry.  Scout seemed happy to have some one to hang out with since Jem is too grown up to play anymore. That night that I was discovered Sout and I had a long talk. I tried to go to sleep in Jem's bed, but I couldn't sleep and he did fall asleep, and I needed to talk to someone. I went over and got in bed with Scout instead. We talked about why I left, and I realized that I didn't know why, but Scout helped me figure it out. She is such a good friend. I wish that I could live full time in Maycomb. My parents don't want me. No one seems to want me except Scout. 


Yesterday Jem and Scout came and got me in the middle of the night, or what felt like the middle of the night. I didn't question them. I trust those two more than anyone else in the whole world. That part is infallible. I don't know if they trust me the same way but I hope so. Once I snuck out, I asked them what we were up to. Jem said that he didn't really know. He just had a feeling. Made sense to me, so I dutifully followed Jem downtown. I didn't really understand why he hadn't dispelled of Scout yet, but it turns out to be a good thing that he didn't because she ended up saving us all. I bet we would all be dead if it weren't for Scout! She's like a superhero. I don't even understand why those people were going to hurt Atticus and the man in the jail cell, and I don't know what Scout said to make them change their minds, but they did! It was the most exciting thing iv'e seen this whole summer! 

To Kill a Mockingbird -- Post # 3

--Journal # 3--

Chapters 10-11

Calpurnia

It seems like lately both Jem and Scout have been real upset and worried about old Atticus. They always be wanting him to go out in the yard and wrestle, or do something absurd like play football. They know he's to old for that kind of thing. There's no reason to be bitter about it. Frankly, I am quite disappointed in them. Well, I suppose it's not really their fault. Their school contemporaries all have young fathers who probably love to prance around the yard with them all day. They are also probably upset and a little remorse about him because I am sure that he isn't the most inconspicuous person in the town right know. What with all the talk about him defending a Negro. Personally, I am glad he is up there defending Mr. Tom Robinson. He is a fine gentlemen and had been part of our church for as long as I have! It is just wrong the way they treat us black people nowadays. Ridiculous. They are all saying that Mr. Ewell's daughter was in peril or something along that lines. I don't believe it one bit. Not one bit. Anyway, back to what I was saying before I got sidetracked, If only those kids knew what good of a shot their old father is. They would be the proudest kids in all of Maycomb. If they knew their daddy was old "One shot Finch" I wonder how long it's been since he's ever picked up a gun. I bet he'll never touch one again. 


Today I had the shock of my life. It practically flat out contradicted what I wrote before. I was just in the kitchen minding my own business when Mister Jem comes running in howling about a dog. A dog! No one worries about a dog in February for goodness sakes. If this had been August, then maybe people would have expected it more. But when I realized that the kids were right, and had phoned up Mr. Finch, the police, and Eula May, and was running around warning people like a crazy person, I realized that people probably thought that I was crazy. But it didn't matter. I still needed to warn them. I heard Jem behind me and whipped around to order him inside. His lips moved, but his words were inaudible. Probably scared to death, poor child. "Get inside!" I hollered at him. He turned, grabbed Scout by the cuff of her dress and dragged her inside. Right around them Mr. Finch showed up with the Hector Tate, the sheriff.A few minutes later they were arguing, well not quite arguing, (Mr. Finch is way to calm for that) more like discussing who would shoot the mad dog. Mr. Tate didn't want to be the one. They had one shot, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to aim well enough. So Mr. Finch, mumbling about how he hadn't shot anything in years, scooped up the gun and marched out into the street. Then it was like slow motion. His glasses fell from his face and hit the floor as he raised the gun to his shoulder. He took aim quickly then pulled the trigger. The dog fell dead. I turned around and saw two bewildered faces peeking out from around the screen door. Hah! That would show them what their daddy was capable of , I thought. 

To Kill a Mockingbird -- Post # 2

--Journal # 2--

Chapters 4-9

Ms. Maudie

The day started off bad. I didn't expect it to get so much worse. I didn't think it possible for it to go from a bad day to a horrible day. The reason it started off bad was all because of the stupid snow. I know it's exciting for all the kids and actually pretty much the whole town because of the fact that they have never seen snow, but I just don't feel the same way about the cursed fluffy white flakes swirling through the air. The fall all over the place and make a mess. They makes everything miserable and cold. But the worst part about them is how they freeze my beautiful garden. This morning all I was hoping was that it would warm up at night and not freeze my Azaleas. Well, they ended up pretty warm after all. After I covered them all with brown bags, then explained to Mr. Jem Finch my reasoning for doing so, I just went about my business. But that night was when things really heated up. 

I had gone around the house and put a fire in all the fireplaces, including the one in the kitchen that is closest my beloved garden. I hoped that by doing so, it might make the poor things a little warmer, and not let them freeze over. After that I went to bed, leaving the fire place in the kitchen blazing. I was sleeping when it happened. I woke up around 1 in the morning, but not for any particular reason. Maybe it was the smell. I didn't consider that at the moment. As I turned over in my bed, I caught a splash of red and orange down the hall from the corner of my eye. I was still half asleep and dismissed it from my thoughts as I snuggled into the blankets the freezing air all around me. Then it kicked in. I flew out of bed and glanced down the hall. The flames were billowing up and producing a thick sheet of smoke, making it difficult to breathe. I threw on my robe and overcoat, jumped into my shoes on the way out the door, and fled out of my burning house through the back door and straight to Ms. Stephanie's. I banged on her door and begged that the fire wouldn't catch onto the poor neighbors house's. 

I'm not positive if I mean it when I tell people that I am perfectly fine with moving away from my cow barn of a house. Well it used to be at least. Now it is all but a pile of ashes. But I am pretty sure. The only thing I am grieving for is my garden. But in truth I am glad that it happened. Maybe it was all meant to be. I have always wanted a bigger space for my garden, and now I shall build myself the finest one in all of Maycomb County. I will miss a few of my favorite possessions, but there nothing I can't live without. But I do feel awful about all the commotion and danger it caused everyone else. Poor Mr. Avery! I wish no one had to have gone through what they did last night. But what is done is done. There is no going back now. I have a new life ahead of me, and I plan to walk into it with my head held high. 

To Kill a Mockingbird -- Post #1

--Journal Entry--

Character: Charles Baker "Dill" Harris 

Today I left my home, Meridian Mississippi, to go and spend the summer with my Aunt Rachel in Maycomb, Alabama. When I got there, my Aunt Rachel told me that their was some other kids in the neighborhood that I could maybe become friends with. She said the boy, (who was older than me) was named Jeremy Atticus Finch. And I figured since my name was a mouthful too, (Charles Baker Harris) then we would get along real well. Folks call me Dill, so maybe folks have a nickname for him too. I am excited to meet him. I'll need to make a good first impression. 

Today I met Jem Finch and his little sister Scout. They seem like swell folks. I can tell that this summer is going to be a good one. They have a tree house in their back yard and they seem like they have taken a liking to me. Maybe we can be best friends. I am glad that I came to Maycomb because I have new friends now. I told them all about how my Momma entered my picture in a beautiful children contest, and won a whole 5 dollars. The best part is that she gave all of it to me! I went to the picture show twenty times. I also told them all about the Dracula picture I went to. 

I am pretty interested in the Radley House that everyone is so scared of. I don't think it's all that scary. Mainly I just wonder. I wonder who this "Boo" Radley really is, and how he stands being cooped up all the time. Is he really crazy? Maybe he's not crazy at all. Maybe he just wants a friend. I could be his friend! I could take him out of that house were he is forced to stay in and I could show him the world. I think I'll dare Jem to go knock on the door just to freak him out and see if he'll do it. He probably won't have the guts. He's so dang scared of that house. But I hear he never turns down a dare so we'll just have to see. 

Novel Partners Post # 3

NAME: Fiona Jackson        DATE: February 16, 2011 TITLE: The Lovely Bones TIME: 3 hours AUTHOR: Alice Sebold      PAGES: 161 - 280 TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK: 119

What I read today made me feel extremely happy. Or at least some of what I read. What made me so happy was when Samuel proposed to Lindsey. I think that it is incredible that their relationship withstood every thing that this family has been through. But know that I think about it, it may have even made them a stronger couple. Nothing could ever happen to them that could be worse than something that they have already been forced to face and deal with. Susie's death may have even brought them together the first time back when they were 13. He approached her after it happened. That showed her that he honestly truly cared about her.  I am so glad that Lindsey had someone to go to when no one else was there. Samuel is her soul mate and he came to her when she most needed him. That is why when he proposed to her it filled me with joy. But on a different subject, what I read today also made me extremely sad. The book was talking about Buckley a lot and about how Susie's death and his mother leaving has affected him. He sounds like it has messed him up a lot. I was basically in tears when he was talking about how he has taught himself to make his heart go from heart to stone so that he can't get hurt anymore. That was when he was 4 years old. That is too early for a child to have to think like that. It broke my heart.  Another person who is really important to the story other than the main character is Susie's mother Abigail.  Throughout the story a big part of the plot has been her struggle to cope with Susie's death. She makes some interesting decisions, like cheating on her husband, but the worst thing is that she get's up and leaves. It wasn't very clear if she explained why she felt she needed to do this to her husband and children or not, but one day she decided to drive to California. I don't really understand this. Why does losing your other two children make losing your first one better? I don't get why she thought that that would help. How could she do that to her family? Those kids had enough to deal with. They didn't need to lose their mother too. That is just horrible. And you can tell that it has screwed Buckley up a lot. He lost his mother when he was 4 years old. And he doesn't even really have the comfort of having her die. She chose to leave him. She had a choice. And she didn't choose him and Lindsey. That's the worst part. But I have a feeling that she may come back.  A couple things in this book upset me clearly. But the worst thing is that Mr. Harvey hasn't been caught. He killed so many people and no one knows it's him. It makes me so mad. He deserves to be caught. He needs to be caught. Well, at least they have figured out that Susie's dad was right all along and that it was Mr. Harvey. But then he just disappears. It's incredibly frustrating. I really hope that he get's caught. He has brutally murdered like 10 people. One girl was 5 years old! It makes me sick! I can not understand how he lives with himself. He went to Susie's funeral. I would not be able to deal with that.  It's so wrong. He must have something seriously wrong with him. I'm sure he does. He must have some sort of a mental disorder. I mean come on, he kills the neighborhood animals to keep himself from killing the neighborhood kids. He needs help. I wish that he could get some.

Novel Partners Post # 2

NAME: Fiona Jackson DATE: February 10th, 2011 

TITLE: The Lovely Bones  TIME: 2 hours

AUTHOR: Alice Sebold  PAGES: 80-157

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK: 77

How did what you read today make you feel? Why? 


As you might have heard, this book is a very sad and horrific one. Some people may not enjoy books or stories like this one because of that. Some people may not want to spend time thinking about the possibilities of things like a little girl being murdered are. But so far this book has taught me a lot. It's not like I enjoy sitting there and reading about horrible things, but to me books like this are a lot more meaningful, and have a better message then a silly book trying to hard to be funny. For example, this book has taught me a lot about death and about what it does to people. No one I have ever been close to has died yet. Seeing how the family deals with Susie's death has taught me a lot. I expected that because Susie died, the family would grow closer. That they would lean on each other. But the opposite happened. Abigail,  (Susie's mother) had an affair with the police officer Len Fenerman. She chose to lean and depend on him instead of her husband who was actually right about George. Lindsey went to Samuel her boyfriend. Buckley has started to talk to himself, pretending he's seeing and talking to Susie. Her father Jack focused a lot on Buckley, but when that started to deteriorate he focused on trying to prove that George was guilty. But the police gave up on him. Instead of watching this family bloom and grow together, I have watched them wilt and die. 


What do you think about a particular character's actions? Was he/she right or wrong to do that? 
When I realized that Abigail was falling for Len, it upset me a great deal. I had faith that the family would not fall apart. And I understand why that she did it. She needed a way to get away and forget Susie. But why couldn't she do it in a different way. I think that cheating on your husband would never be the right way to go in a situation like that. How would Jack feel? He didn't do anything crazy like that! All he was concerned about was getting evidence about George killing Susie. I think that that actually may be the reason that she went to Len for comfort. He is a police man. His job was to catch Susie's killer. No matter what Jack says, Len would always be right and know best because he is a Police man. Even though Jack was right, and Len was wrong. I also feel ashamed of Len. I can't believe that he would do that to their family given the situation. And he knows exactly what their situation is. Everyone does. He is the one trying to help their family and all he does is make it worse. Much worse. And obviously other people are going to find out. Lindsey will, or Jack will. Lindsey's grandma could just tell from seeing Abigail. She confronted Abigail about it, and Abigail completely ignored it. I think that Abigail's actions were wrong, but I don't really blame her actually. She had to do something. But she wasn't strong enough, so she chose a  very bad outlet. I feel sorry for her. I feel sorry for Susie. I feel sorry for their whole family. 


What was one of your favorite lines (or sentences) in what you read today? Copy it down and tell why you liked it.


"It's one of my secret pleasures," she admitted. "After all these years I still love to watch the souls that float and spin in masses, all of them clamoring at once inside the air." "I don't see anything," I said the first time. " Watch closely," she sad, "and hush." But I felt them before I saw them, small warm sparks along my arms. Then there they were, fireflies lighting up and expanding in howls and and swirls as they abandoned human flesh. "Like snowflakes." Franny said, "none of them the same and yet each one, from where we stand , exactly like the one before."

I really liked this quote because it kind of confused me but intrigued me at the same time. It is a interesting way of describing souls, like snowflakes. But I liked it, because it seems like it would be correct, especially if you were in heaven watching all these new people come. They are all different and unique people, but all the same. They all made the same mistakes, they all feel the same way. I also thought that this quote was kind of meaningful because it made me wonder if Franny had been watching when Susie's soul was leaving Earth. And then there they are now watching even more people come. It also made me kind of sad because it talked about how many souls they could see, and that obviously represents how many people are dying, and that made me start wondering how many other people's death was like Susie's, so horrific and wrong. This quote was interesting to me, so I included it. 

The Lovely Bones Post #1

NAME: Fiona Jackson                  DATE: February 3, 2011

TITLE: The Lovely Bones            TIME: 2 hours

AUTHOR: Alice Sebold                 PAGES: 1-80 

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK: 80

Would you read another book by this Author? Why or why not? 

I would definitely read another book by this Author. So far in the book the Author has a very interesting and creative writing style. I find it really interesting to be reading part of the book through the perspective of the girl in heaven. I like the way the author describes heaven and think that the way she writes the story is really cool. I would read another book by her because this book is written so well. I like the idea, and how she keeps dropping hints about what the rest of the book is going to be about that leave you wondering and wanting to read more. I would read another book by her hoping that it would be as unique and intriguing as this one. 

What does this book make you wonder about? Why? 

This book makes me wonder a lot about heaven, and what happens after you die. The reason for this is that the girl who dies, (Susie) goes to heaven and talks about what it is like for her. In the book it is described as being a good place, or somewhere were you get everything that you want or desire except to be alive again of course. So basically, if you just think about wanting a hamburger, then you would get one. But you have to realize this gift in order to really be able to use it to your advantage. Also, in your heaven, you are not alone. You are with other dead people. And you can share your house with a friend or be alone. Again, it's whatever you desire. Also you get to watch the people on earth. So Susie gets to look down and see how her parents are coping with her death. In my opinion, I don't think that that would be a very fun thing to have to do. It also seems like it would be incredibly frustrating to know exactly were your body is and who killed you and not be able to tell your parents or the police. So this book really makes me wonder what happens after your dead. Is it something like what it is described to be in the book? Is it nothing like it? Is there no such thing as heaven? There is an endless amount of possibilities. 

Explain how the Author creates suspense in the book. 

The author creates suspense in an interesting way in this book. She is starting to drop hints that Susie is going to find a way to communicate with her family. For example, Susie accidentally made her face appear in a collection of broken glass which leads her father to believe that Susie is trying to talk to him. She makes it sort of clear that it's going to be a reoccurring theme in the book, but doesn't explain why or how. 

Book Review

Fiona Jackson

January 7th, 2011

Lord Of the Flies   

Written by William Golding

Lord of the Flies is a book about a group of Bristish boys who get stranded on a desert island. At first it’s all fun and games without adults or rules, but then chaos begins to set in. Kids start to disagree about major decisions, people start to become frightened and rumors begin to soar across the island. Basically, it is a story meant to show human nature. What we resort to when we are scared and in danger. But to me it seemed like there were a lot of other hidden meanings also. The main characters, (Ralph, Jack, Piggy, Simon...etc.) go through a crazy journey in which they learn a lot about each other and themselves. It’s a little old fashioned and some of the wording is a little hard to understand at first, but I think that it’s worth it to put a little thought into it.

I mostly enjoyed this book. Like I mentioned before, you have to put some thought into the book. And it gets a little bit gruesome at parts. But I thought it was a pretty good book. I definitely think that it’s worth reading. It can teach you a lot. It shows different types of leaders, how people act under pressure, when and why people respect each other, and how children's imagination’s can run wild. For example, two of the characters, Ralph and Jack, (protagonist and antagonist) are both ruled out to be leaders on the island. And they are good people to be in charge, they are natural leaders. But in very different ways. They had very different ideas and were very stubborn about them. The book taught me about respect because one of the main characters, (Piggy) was disrespected solely because he was fat and wore glasses. So, in this books world, you have to be pretty to matter. And the ironic part about that is that Piggy was the only one who was smart enough to figure things out.

Lord of the Flies was one of those books that made you never want to put it down. You would always want to know what comes next. It was interesting, horrifying, and aggravating all at once. But in a good way. That made it more fun to read, because it always left you guessing. It made you wonder if they would get rescued, if they would all survive, or if Ralph would prove to be a good leader or not.

Sometimes when I was reading this book it got so weird and wacky that I decided that I didn’t like it. But once I had read the whole book, I realized that it was worth it to get through those parts. I think that this book is a lot of things, but of those things is a good read. It is worth your time. You come to love some of the characters and hate others. You learn a lot from this book and it makes you wonder about a lot.

Overall, I liked this book and recommend it to anyone who is wondering about reading it. It taught me a lot and helped me understand human nature better. I took a lot of time thinking and analyzing this book and it was really interesting. The writing style is great, William Golding makes you feel as if you are really there on the island with them. The characters are defined well, you get a clear picture of them in your head. I hope that if you decide to read it, that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Weekly Reading Response # 3

NAME Fiona Jackson  DATE October 20th, 2010 TITLE The Curios Case Of the Dog in the Night-Time. TIME: 2 HOURS AUTHOR: Mark Haddon PAGES 106-226 TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK 120 Pages This book was very unique in a lot of ways. The book is written about something that happens to a boy and it is written from that boys perspective. What makes the book interesting isn't only the storyline though. It is also the fact that the boy is Autistic, or has something different about his brain that makes him think in ways that are very different than the way most people think. He can't understand human emotions, and relates better to animals than humans. He is a extremely logical person, and is amazing at math. He pretty much looks at everything in life as one big math problem. I think that I found the book interesting for those reasons. The story would have been pretty boring if it wasn't for the fact that you get to see it through the eyes of someone who thinks in a whole different way then you. It was like stepping into a whole new world, where things that seem totally normal in our world, upset you so much and causes so much pain you just have to sit down and groan. I also liked the book because the boy, (Christopher) overcomes some of his fears. He figures out ways on his own to help him overcome the fear that ruled his life. I liked that. But I didn't like the way the story ended. Christopher didn't really seem like he was happier in the position he was in at the end of the story than the one he was in in the beginning of the story. Which was okay, because he was pretty happy in the beginning of the story. But the story just kind of cut off. I was really surprised to find that it was over. I even flipped through the last blank pages to make sure I wasn't missing anything. It was strange. I mean, the book's last paragraph did have an ending sense, but it could have just been the end of the chapter the way it was written.  Something that I really liked about a character was the way the Mother acted throughout this book. It might seem strange that I say this because the mother basically abandoned her son to go live with the man she had an affair with. But she was confused during that time. She had a bad moment. Then when Christopher didn't answer any of her letters, she began to worry and just assume that Christopher was angry with her. Then, when Christopher showed up at her house, and told her that his father had told him that she was dead, she moved out of the man she was living with's house and moved back to Swindon to be with Christopher which was probably very hard for her to do since she did love the man she was living with. I thought that it must have been a very hard decision to make. But I also felt very bad for the Father because Christopher was scared of him and thought that he was going to try and kill him, so he wouldn't go near him or talk to him. If Christopher saw him at all he would scream his head of. That would be so hard. Having your own son be so scared of you that he wouldn't talk to you or refuse to be in the same house as you. Anyway, overall I though that this was a really good book and would recommend it to other people.

Weekly Reading Response # 2

NAME: Fiona Jackson DATE: October 19th, 2010

TITLE: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night -Time TIME: 2 HOURS

AUTHOR: Mark Haddon  PAGES: 1-106

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK: 106 Pages 

Something I have found really interesting about this book is that the main character, Christopher, is autistic. I am not positive about this but I am pretty sure. It is interesting because it is like he is writing the book, so it shows exactly how he thinks about everything. The way things make him feel. It is interesting because he is a really mathematical person so he thinks about everything really detailed. He has a photographic memory and he kind of explained what it is like to have a memory like that which is cool because it is so different than the way my memory is. This boy is so smart, but he is difficulty to talk to because his brain works a different way then everyone else's. I can't tell whether his parents understand what exactly is different about him. They clearly know something is different about him though because there are some things that he can't tolerate. for example, he won't eat anything that is yellow or brown, his food can't be touching, he has a game about the colors of cars which determine what kind of day he is going to have, he doesn't like to be touched, and would much rather be alone then with people. 

This book reminds me of a movie I watched once called Temple Grandin. That movie was about a girl who had autism and was also super smart and didn't like to be touched. This is the main reason that I think that Christopher is also autistic. The two characters had lot's of similarities, and it is interesting to compare the way the different writers/directors showed the way the autistic people think. In the movie they kind of showed a picture for everything she was thinking. In the book the author does a similar thing but uses words to describe it instead of a picture. I really think that it is interesting how people like this's brain works. They are just on a whole different level than everyone else. For example, in the movie, there was a scene where Temple was in class, and they were supposed to be reading out of a French textbook. It appeared that Temple wasn't reading the page, so the teacher got up and went over to her and asked why she wasn't reading. She replied that she already read it, even though the teacher had just told them to read it. The teacher took away the book and asked what it said. She recited the whole page like she was reading it from her memory. In the book, there is a point where Christopher describes his memory as a being a film. When people ask him to remember things he can simply press rewind, fast forward, or pause. It's the same concept. 


At one point in the book, Christopher's father told him to never do a list of things. 
1. Not to mention Mr. Shears name in their house. 
2. Not to go asking Mrs. Shears about who killed the bloody dog.
3. Not to go asking anyone about who killed that bloody dog.
4. Not to go trespassing in other peoples gardens. 
5. To stop this ridiculous bloody detective game. 
Christopher clearly understands this, but will not give up on his detective game. He just decides to do it in ways that his father did not clearly say. Which shows that he is very clever, but that his mind kind of works like a young child's. Kind of manipulative. But that he just doesn't understand when he upsets people. It must be really hard not to get frustrated with him really easily. I don't think that I would be able to keep as calm with someone like that as his father does. And I think that that is a big part of why his mother ran off. Because she really did feel like she couldn't take it anymore and that it would be better for everyone else if she just left. I can understand how she might of felt. But I am not saying that what she did was right. 

Independent Reading Book

My new Independent Reading Book is called The Curios Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. 

Weekly Reading Response

NAME: Fiona Jackson DATE: 10-6-10

TITLE: Animal Farm  TIME: 2 HOURS

AUTHOR: George Orwell  PAGES: 1-128

TOTAL PAGES THIS WEEK: 128

Question: What does this book make you think about? Why?

This is a really interesting book to me. The fact that in the book, the Animals rebel and run a whole farm by themselves and feel such strong hate towards the humans is crazy. Not crazy like it couldn't happen, but just crazy like hard to believe. I think that it would be really hard on humans if this were to actually happen because of the fact that humans are obsessed with being in charge of everything. Even among ourselves. That is the main reason we are always at war with each other anyway. Everyone wants control and power over everyone else. I think that is an instinct, because in Animal Farm, even the pigs want control of everything. It isn't a problem with the other animals because the pigs are the smartest, and the other animals are to dumb to understand that they are getting rid of their old controller, (the human, Jones) and just replacing him with a new one, (the pig, Napoleon). I thought that was interesting because it seems like it may be a theme of the book. 


What surprised you about this book? Why?


What surprised me about this book is the fact that the whole point of getting rid of the humans on the farm was so that they could have their freedom, and never be hungry, or be forced to work for the benefit of someone else. And then how they did have that, but pretty soon, the pigs started to become more and more dominate. Actually, I take that back. I wasn't surprised that much when you find out that Napoleon was the leader and he was planning on becoming more and more important until he got to the point that he got the best of everything. I could tell from the very beginning that that was going to happen. At first, I thought that Snowball was going to become the president or new leader. But then Napoleon ran him out. I still haven't decided whether or not Snowball really was to blame, or if Napoleon made it all up in order for him to have more power. I was surprised though, when you find out at the end of the book that the pigs are back in league with the humans. I really thought that they understood more that the humans were bad and way smarter than the pigs. I really think that it is just animal nature to want to always be in charge. Or to want to always have the best of everything. The farm was a lot more successful when all the animals were equal and they actually followed the original seven commandments. That is what was fair. All the animals were equally happy, and they made a lot more food that way. But then when the pigs started to slowly gain more control and become more and more selfish, everything started to get worse. The pigs were supposedly better than all the other animals so they got more food, and they got to drink alcohol, and they got to sleep in beds, while all the other animals suffered. 


What did this book remind you of? Why?
This book reminded me of another book series titled the Hunger Games. In that series, the people were forced to compete in a horrible thing called the Hunger Games, run by their leader, President Snow. The people rebel and end up overthrowing the president and elect a new president, who then just wants to have another Hunger Games. That reminded me of Animal Farm, because in Animal Farm, the animals overthrow the human that owns their farm,(Jones) and then the Pigs just take over and treat the animals the same way that Jones's treated them. The plot is kind of the same in both of the stories. 

Independant Reading

The book I am reading for the Independent reading project is Animal Farm, by George Orwell. 

Rabbits

What do the rabbits symbolize in the story?


Rabbits are symbolizing dreams in the book Of Mice and Men. It has always been Lennie's dream to own those rabbits and tend to them. That is the symbol. The theme is dreaming. Always knowing what your dreams are and doing what it takes to accomplish. Things do happen sometimes to prevent you from getting your dreams for example Lennie killing Curley's wife.


Choose a character in the novel (other than Curley's wife) and discuss what they represent. Use details about the character to support your answer.


I am choosing to discuss George. I think that George's purpose in this book is to represent friends. George (although sometimes he has interesting ways of showing this) really and truly cares about Lennie and doesn't want to see him get hurt. He always has his back no matter how much trouble Lennie gets in. For example, when Lennie accidentally kills Curley's wife, George says, "Ain't nobody gonna hurt Lennie. I won't let em." 


 Describe your reactions to Lennie killing Curley's wife. What do you think will happen to Lennie now?


I was really shocked when I found out that Lennie actually killed her. I didn't know he was that strong. I feel bad for him because he really can't help it. Just like George says- "He ain't never done it to be mean." I think that the boys are going to kill him. Curley really wants to and he already had all that anger bottled up from when Lennie broke his hand. I think the others will go along with it because they really don't understand that Lennie doesn't do it intentionally.


Discuss Curley's wife and what she represents in the novel.


I think that Curley's wife represents accidents. She represents Lennie always managing to kill that really soft thing- whether it's a mouse, or a dog, or even a human. I'm sure if he ever did get to the rabbits, then he would have killed them to. He's just way to strong to be handling the fragile objects that are so soft. Sure, he never means to, but it happens ever time. He never learns. He thinks like a child. Just like a child. 

Journal Entry- Candy's Perspective

Dear Diary,

I was real sad today. Them boys in the bunkhouse took my dog and shot him dead. I guess it's what's best for him, but I sure will miss him a ton. I have had him since he was just a little puppy. The boys been complaining because the old dog is smelly and stinks up the whole room. Hopefully the old thing will be put out of it's pain.

I was so sad when they took him away I just laid down on my bunk and stared at the wall for a while. When that dog was younger he was the best sheepdog you ever saw. The best, and I am going to miss him so much. We used to have so much fun when he was just a little pup. I brightened a little when Slim said I could have any of his puppies.

I was lying on my bed listening to the two new boys the real big guy and the small fellow talk when they started a conversation about how they plan on going of and buying there own little ranch when they get enough money. I started thinking about how nice that sounds, when I realized that if us three guys pooled all our money together we could get there super fast. I have a lot of money stored away anyway, so I asked them how that sounded. They were a little resistant at first but once we talked out all the details it was basically a done deal. I am very excited this sure will make my old life a lot better.

Journal Entry- Lennie's Perspective

Dear Diary,
Today was the best day of my life! Slim the fella who seemed kinda brusque let me have a puppy all to myself. He's brown and white just like I wanted and I can stroke him all I want. He was just born the other day so he's gotta stay in the nest with his momma. I brought him into my bunk and was recumbent when George realized and made me take him back to his nest. I wasn't trying to hurt him or do anything bad, the little puppy was just so soft I wanted to stroke him some more. I didn't understand that he had to stay with his momma, but George was nice and explained to me that I was just hurting the little soft puppy.

After I returned the puppy to his momma, I came back to the bunk house and was talking with George and Candy. Candy seemed real sad because the other guys had taken his old smelly dog and shot him because he was real old and in pain. I was begging George to tell me about our dream some more, about how we are gonna get a little place of our own and live of the fatta the land. About how we are gonna have some rabbits, and chickens, and even some pigs. George got talking and we both kinda forgot about Candy who was just lying down in his bunk. Then after a while he interrupted us and started talking about how he has a lot of money saved up, and he thinks he's gonna be fired soon because he's old just like his dog. We all got this great idea about how we can pool our money together- he would just be one more person- and he could just come with us. Now we only need to save up a little bit more money and our dream will be coming true.

After we found out about this great news, Curly and the guys all came back into the bunk house and were talking about how Curly keeps asking Slim about where his wife is. Slim was a little bit fed up because he hardly ever is with Curly's wife and doesn't like to keep being asked about it. Everyone started to kind of gang up on Curly and I was still so happy about the little place that's gonna be all ours that I was still kinda smiling. I guess Curly mistook that for me laughing at him and he came at me all pugnacious like. It scared me real bad and I was talking to George trying to get him to mollify me. He just kept saying get him Lennie, but I didn't wanna hurt nobody. He kept saying it and Curly was making me bleed, so I grabbed his hand and all this crunching noises erupted. It was real scary and I didn't wanna hurt nobody. I feel real awful about it.

Of Mice and Men (Post #2)

1. Describe the way George treats Lennie. Explain how you think George really feels about him:
Most of the time George treats Lennie very poorly. He seems very hot tempered so that he gets frustrated and angry with Lennie very often. He cusses, yells, and calls him names a lot. When he is not frustrated with Lennie, he is really nice to him and cooks food for him and talks to him about rabbits. George seems like he has a love hate companionship with Lennie.


2. What is George and Lennie's Dream? Provide Details. Do you think that is realistic or not?
George and Lennie's dream is to go live on a ranch by themselves and have a bunch of different animals to provide the food. Lennie also really wants rabbits so that he can stroke them without killing them. They want a stove so that in the winter when it rains, they can not work but go inside and warm themselves by the stove. I think that this is a very realistic dream because it is something that it seems like two hardworking men can accomplish if they try hard enough. If they really want it and if they work hard enough, then they can accomplish basically anything.


3. Why do you think George says that migrant workers who travel from farm to farm are the loneliest people in the world? What makes he and Lennie different?
I think that the reason George says that migrant farmers are the loneliest people in the world is because basically all the time they are alone. They travel from place to place alone, and even if they get a job and meet people pretty soon they are going to leave again. They don't have people who are close to them, and they are alone a lot. I think that it would be really hard to be alone all the time. George and Lennie will always be different because they have each other and the always will. They never get lonely because they have each other to talk to. They are close friends. 

Of Mice and Men (Pre-Reading)

1. Why do we have friends? 
In my opinion, we have friends for very many reasons. We need someone we can really relate to in life. The person doesn't have to be your age necessarily, they just have to be someone that you are comfortable talking to about things in way you don't talk to others such as your parents. If we didn't have friends, then life would be really dull. Friends are people that you can confide to, people that won't judge you. They are people that you can have fun with. I feel like everyone needs friends. That you are really unhappy without them. 




2. What makes a "good" friend?
A good friend is someone who always has your back. Who isn't mean to you or other people. I think that lot's of times you consider someone a really good friend, but then they do something to someone else or to you and you really realize that that person isn't actually a good friend, and you shouldn't let them treat you or others like that. A good friend is someone who loves to spend time with you, and who is truly kind to you. Who doesn't go to there other friends and talk about you behind your back. Someone who sticks up for you. 


3. Describe a dream you have:
One dream that I have in life is to travel around the world. I have always really wanted to see the world. Places that are different from where I have grown up my whole life. Exotic places with different types of food and animals and weather - pretty much different everything. Places like Australia, or France. It doesn't really matter where. I just want to see everything that there is to see in this world. It seems like it would kind of be a waste to live your whole life without seeing everything that there is to see in this world that we live in. I don't really think that this dream will go wrong because if I care enough about it, or anything for that matter, I can work hard to accomplish it. And that is what you are going to have to do in life- you won't just have everything handed to you.