Uncle Tom's Cabin (Chapters IV- V

In chapter eight Eliza crosses the Ohio River from Kentucky to Ohio and a man on the bank helps her. She was pointed to a house that would help her and it was the senators house and that day legislature was passed so escaped slaves from Kentucky are to be returned. The senator brings her to a safe house and helps her even when the risks for him would be the most severe. When I started the chapter I was very worried that she would be turned away or even worse returned to Kentucky, but she was helped.

Uncle Tom's Cabin (Chapters I-VIII)

I chose to read the book "Uncle Tom's Cabin" because it is considered to be the book that started the Civil War it also has numerous awards and exceptional reviews. The first few chapters is a running start for readers. Many important characters are introduced as well as their past and important events in their life. I have had to (on many occasions) "Google" the definition of words.The type of language used in his book is so foreign it is very difficult and slow to read (and I am a normally very fast reader). Harriet Beecher Stowe the author includes so many adjectives that the reader feels that they had lived the moment being described.

The reader feels the emotion of the character, their joy, despair, disgust, and sorrow. In Harriet Beecher Stowe's writing even the characters deep southern accent is detectable due to the way she uses and accents words. I feel so much sadness for Eliza because her husband is almost being worked to death and her only child is being sold away from her. I am glad but yet apprehensive that Eliza is running away. If Eliza is caught after she runs away even though she isn't Haley's (the slave trader) slave he will probably keep her and  punish her. When I read page 43 where Harry (Eliza's Son) asks Eliza if he can sleep, and while he is asleep will she keep him safe from the bad man. When I read this my heart broke into 1,000 pieces. The pure innocence and lack of understanding of the child is so sincere, I think that is the most heart wrenching line I have ever read. To be honest it is hard to describe with words how this line makes a reader feel.

Similarities between the Capulets and The Effect of Gamma RaysMan-On-The-Moon Marigolds

Both of the stories have a slow start, and in the end of the books a person/animal important and cared for by the family dies. Also in both stories Matilda (Tillie) is much like the main character of Romeo and Juliet, Juliet.Their mothers also worry more about their daughters appearance over substance. Although we the readers don't know Tillie's exact age we know that she is in middle school so that makes her about the same as Juliet. 

The stories are set in different times, and the families are at very different economic standpoints. Tillie's family is at a very low economic standpoint and Juliet's family (Capulets) is at a very high economic standpoint and they are very wealthy. Juliet also seems to be much ore irresponsible than Tillie is.

When comparing the books on the surface it is hard to see many common elements in the stories. So upon a closer look there are many common elements in the stories, but this can be applied to the comparison of anything. One of the largest thing that I realized how much time periods, economic status, who you were brought up by effects how you act and your personality.  

Relating to - The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-In-The-Moon Marigolds

I can relate to this story because I go to school and I really like science like one of the main characters Tillie (Matilda). I can't relate to the story very much but I also have a pet like Tillie's rabbit.When Ruth comes home from school one day she speaks about Tillie having to speak in front the school, I have to make announcements often for my school. There are a few small similarities between myself and Tillie, we both see our mothers often and  we both have siblings.

Romeo's Character Development

Romeo at a glance seems not to have evolved much throughout the play, because he seems to be lovestruck the whole time. But upon closer inspection much internal evolvement has happened. In the behing of the play Romeo is depressed about his lost love with Roseline, and really doesn't want to go the the feast. In Act 1 scene 2 after Benvolio finally convinces Romeo to go to the party, he says the he will only rejoice because Roseline is so much more beautiful than all other women.

During the middle of the book Romeo meets Juliet and is head over heals for her. He is overwhelmed with joy after meeting her, and this can be seen in Act 2 scene 2 when Romeo tells Juliet that he would change his name for her. Also when Romeo and Juliet are married by Friar Lawrence. For a short period of time before they are married Romeo is very anxious, but that can be expected by someone that is about to get married. Over all in the middle of the book where Romeo meets Juliet and they are married Romeo is overwhelmed with happiness, because of his and Juliet's love.

In the last section of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is grief stricken with the death if his wife Juliet. His loss causes him to become severely depressed to the point of suicide. In the beginning and the end of the book Romeo is feeling some type of depression or loss, but on very different emotional levels and for different reasons. His feeling of loss is so great in the end of the book it causes him to commit suicide, and that action truely kills Juliet. So in a completely unintentional way Romeo kills Juliet and Juliet kills Romeo and they kill each other with their devotion. 

Romeo and Juliet Act I Discussion Questions

Already in Act I we (the readers) see how big the rivalry of the Montauge's and the Capulet's. The Montauge's servants Sampson and Gregory discuss what they will do to the Capulet's servants and maids. I have already realized that there are two types of people in this story the ones who try to keep peace and the people that are violent. I have learned that Romeo is out of favor with his "girl friend" and that Benvolio is Romeo's cousin.

Shakespeare uses very advanced words that are a challenge in and of itself to understand. Shakespeare seems to write the play with a very pompous tone. He also uses very strange sentence and word choice. The plot doesn't seem very complicated at the beginning of the story except that it is difficult to initially realize what Gregory and Sampson are dong and where they are.

CITR and A Perfect Day For Bananafish

My favorite character in CTIR was Holden's little sister Phoebe and my favorite character in "A Perfect Day For Bananafish" was the girl on the phone. Some similarities are that they are both girls and have connections with men. Though Holden is Phoebe's brother and the man in the Bananafish story is the girl's boyfriend. 

In both stories the reader gets a lot of information that turns out later in the story to be irrelevant. And the main characters are also males. There are also little girls in both stories, and the main characters also have lots of turmoil in their lives.

CITR Discussion Questions

1.  How have your impressions/predictions been different from the actual text?

I though that Jane would be playing larger part in the story so far. When Holden mentions her you know that she is important but we ( the readers) still haven't met her yet. I thought at the end of the book there would be a big resolution and there wasn't one. 

2.  Ch. 18 “The part that got to me was, there was a lady sitting next to me that cried all through the GD picture…”  Can you think of any hypocritical situations like this that you have encountered in your own life?  How does this fit into Holden’s idea of phoniness?

A hypocritical situation I have been in is when I am having a sleepover with a friend and they ask me a question, and you tell them before you answer it that they can't tell anyone, and they promise they would never tell anyone's secret. Then later they say "I'm not suppposed tell anyone this, or you didn't hear this from me." It's hypocritical because they say they don't tell other peoples secrets and then they tell you someone else's. It fits into the idea of phoniness because they are a lying about what they said and aren't telling the truth, and they are a fake friend.

3.  Discuss Holden’s psychological state.  What clues from the text lead you believe what you do about it?

I think that Holden has been depressed throughout the story so far. Some very distinct context clues are the many phrases where Holden mentions how lonesome he is. There are also the countless occasions where he states that something is just too depressing, or he is too depressed.

4.  There was something else going on within the text with the prostitute situation.  How might you see this situation as symbolic?

Holden states that as soon as he got the conversation rolling he was already regretting it. And it showed real character when the prostitute showed up to his room and all he wanted to do was talk to her, most people I think would take advantage of the situation. Also he still payed the girl the amount that he was told he had to even though he didn't end up requiring her services. It is symbolic because it showed that Holden actually wanted to do the right thing, and noticed the error of initially starting the conversation with the man in the elevator.

CITR (Catcher In The Rye) Discussion Questions

1) What does it mean to be unique? 

It means that you are your own person and aren't trying to mold yourself into what modern society thinks that you should be. You aren't trying to copy anyone or be anyone other than yourself because you realize that even with all the imperfections that you see in the mirror you do yourself perfectly. You realize, yeah, you may not be the most beautiful person on the planet, or the smartest, or the most athletic, but it's okay because you are you and that's good enough. And also, in a more literal definition, no one can have the same genetic makeup as you do, and no one can have the same fingerprints. 

2) How do we keep individuality in an adult world?

People keep their individuality by staying true to themselves and their beliefs, not trying to change themselves, to fit a mold, and expressing truely how you feel about important situations and most importantly being themselves.

3) How is Allie’s character similar to your favorite person?

 Allie's character reminds me if my favorite person because Allie is so kind  just like my friend Kaylee. They are both very smart and play softball and baseball, but Kaylee doesn't write on her mitt. Kaylee is also very smart just like Allie was, and they have a lot more in common than initially thought. 

4) If you were Holden, and you had just been kicked out of school, where would you go?  Why?

I would go home, if I ever got kicked out of school. I would be really embarrassed and I wouldn't want to stay at the school. I would want to go home and try to explain to my parents, before they got the letter or email/phone call. But I don't really know what to do because I don't plan on being kicked out of school.  

5) Free-write about Jane’s character and her importance to Holden 

Jane was very important to Holden becaue she was a girl that he really liked for her. He didn't like her because she was extremely beautiful or a super genius or extremely athletically gifted. I think that she was also Holden's first real feelings for a girl. She also acted very differently than other girls that Holden liked, she was much more mature and reserved. And although she was reserved she was still nice and fun to be around.

6) At the end of chapter 12, Holden says, “people are always ruining things for you.”  Discuss whether or not you think this is true.  Can you think of a time someone “ruined” something for you?

I think that to a certain extent this is true, you can control your actions, but you can't control other peoples. For example if you are being a safe attentive driver and another driver is being reckless and careless and hits you it is their fault. So that reckless driver would have ruined something for you. A time that someone ruined something for me was when I was ice skating and this little kid came around and pushed my friend over (on purpos) for no reason. He called me and my friends mean names, and that kind of ruined my time ice skating. But later we told someone who worked there and the little kid was no longer allowed to skate there.