Week 6 Post B

This book is such a great book, but the tragedy is so sad. This book has just been getting more and more depressing. I find myself getting my hopes up for Laila and Mariam, but always something terrible follows. This section of reading started off happy with Laila meeting Tariq, who she thought was dead. She meets with him, but Zalmai lets word slip to Rasheed, when he is questioned by him. Rasheed asks Zalmai to go upstairs and gets out his belt and more violently than ever starts beating Laila. Mariam is constantly trying to fend Rasheed off but fails. And then all of a sudden Laila is gushing blood and Rasheed has his hand wrapped around her throat, and is definetly going to kill her, unless Mariam is able to stop him. Mariam runs to the garage and returns with a shovel. She strikes Rasheed with the shovel and he is knocked out. However, she knows that if she lets him live he could easily go upstairs and get his gun and shoot her, Laila and Zaila, so she does what she has to and kills him.

"I meant it. I meant it for you, Laila jo"(318).

This quote shows how unselfish Mariam is. She killed Rasheed so Laila could go on to live a happy life. She sacrificed her life and Rasheed's so for Laila. She is most definetly a hero. This is also shown by her turning herself into the police and being executed, unfairly. Laila can now go on to live her life with Tariq and reunite her children, by rescuing Aziza from the orphanage.

Week 6 Post A

Vocab:



abasement: to humiliate or dishonor.



degradation: the act of degrading.



Figurative Language:

1. "Meet our real masters, Pakistan and Arab Islamists. The Taliban are puppets. These are the big players and Afghanistan is their playground"(274). This is a metaphor that portrays the Taliban as not a threat, but the Pakistan and Arab Islamists as the "real deal."


2. "How could she care about the statues when her own life was crumbling dust"(279). This is another metaphor that just simply implies that Laila doesn't have to feel bad for artifacts being destroyed, when her own life is being "destroyed."


3. "He sat up straight, and, for a few brief moments, he appeared merely thoughtful, like a ship captain informed of imminent mutiny taking his time to ponder his next move"(307). This similie is used to compare Rasheed's suspicion and misgiving too a ship captain who is informed of a mutiny and needs time to plan. Rasheed is plotting yet another beating.

Quote:

"I know you're a married woman and a mother now. And here I am, after all these years, after all that's happened, showing up at your doorstep. Probably, it isn't proper, or fair, but I've come such a long way to see you, and . . . Oh, Laila, I wish I'd never left you"(305).

I like this quote, because finally Laila has a reason to live now that she found out Tariq is still alive. Without Tariq, she really doesn't have any thing to live for and through all this tragedy she has a reason to live.

Theme:

A theme for this section of reading is how unfair life can be. Mariam did the right thing by killing Rasheed, who was for sure going to kill Laila and probably herself and Zalmai. However, due to how corrupt Afghanistan was at the time of this book, she is sentenced to death.

Week 5 Post B

I read a lot in this section, since I simply could not put the book down and I had a bit of catching up to do in order to finish the book on time.


Many suprising things occured. First off Laila is separated from Tariq, after his family decides to leave Kabul, due to the war. This is hard enough on Laila, and later her family decides to leave Kabul as well. However, while they are packing up to leave a rocket smashes through their house, ruining everything, as well as killing both of Laila's parents. Laila is now left with nothing, not even Tariq, and yet conditions for her worsen when Rasheed takes her in and has her become his second wife along with Mariam. At first, just like with Mariam, he treats her fairly well, but later he begins beating her just like he does with Mariam. Mariam and Laila at first are "rivals," but they become best friends and help each other out when Rasheed goes into raids. Laila also goes on to have two children, Zalmai and Aziza. Zalmai actually happens to be Tariq's son, but she acts like it is Rasheed's, for obvious reasons. Rasheed beats them as well.

It seems like everyone in this story is falling in the clutches of Rasheed and must live through torture. Hopefully, Mariam, Laila and her children will find a way to escape from Rasheed and live happily for once.

Week 5 Post A

Vocab:

contentiousness: causing or involving in an argument or controversy.

conspiratorial: an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or a surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons.

Figurative Language:

1. "It made a sound like dropping a rice bag to the floor. She hit him hard"(267). This is a simlie since it compares Laila's punch to the sound of a rice bag drooping to the ground.
2. "What's happened to you? {...} I married a pari, and now I'm saddled with a hag"(271). This is a metaphor since Rasheed compares Laila to a "hag," without using like or as.
3. "His eyes glittering with murderous, kicking until he couldn't anymore"(272).

Quote:

"I swear you're going to make me kill you, Laila"(272).

This shows how absurd Rasheed is and what torture it would be to have to live with him. First Mariam had to deal with him, then Laila and now her children must deal with him as well.

Theme:

A theme that is obviously present in this book is tragedy.

Week 4 Post A

flaccid: soft and limp; weak.



protruding: thrusting forward; causing to project.



Figurative language:

1. "If I ever do get married they'll have to make room for three on the wedding stage. Me, the bride, and the guy holding the gun to my head"(141). The author uses a hyperbole here to show much Tariq dislikes weddings.
2. "She didn't understand that if she looked into a mirror, she would find the one unfailing convictionof his life looking right back at her"(136). This figurative language is used to show a misunderstanding between Mammy and her husband, Babi.
3. "Tariq gasped. Laila did too. And she knew then that she could live to be a hundred and she would never agains see a thing as magnificent"(132). A hyperbole is used here to exaggerate the beauty of the statue.

Quote:

"But I'm glad I have you. Every day, I thank God for you. Every single day. Sometimes, when your mother's having one of her really dark days, I feel like you're all I have, Laila"(134).

Significance:

This quote is a relief for Laila. She thought that her parents only loved her brother, who died in the war, so when her dad tells her how much he appreciates having her, she is relieved with happiness.

Theme:

This loss of a loved one is always tough to deal with.

Week 4 Post B

In this section of reading a new protagonist is introduced. The book now follows the life of a young afghan girl named Laila. She is a lot younger than Mariam, so she deals with different issues. Her biggest concern is the lack of love and attention that she gets from her parents, especially her mom. Her brothers were enlisted in the war and her mom won't do much, besides sitting around, praying for their safe return. Her dad on the other hand makes an effort to show her affection, however, he is gone a lot for work. And then when her parents get word of the death of her brothers, they pay even less attention to Laila, since her mom gets very depressed. Laila must run errands for her mom and the only conversation that she has with her is about her brothers. Laila is also without her best friend Tariq, who has been away for a month, but was only suppose to be gone for two weeks.

When Tariq finally returns, life brightens up a lot for Laila. She goes over to Tariq's house where she is given all the attention in the world. She plays games with Tariq, while Tariq's mom prepares wonderful snacks and meals for them. And then Laila's dad offers to take her and Tariq on a surprise adventure. They climb to the stairs to the top of a building, where you can see this beautiful and huge Buddha statue. Laila is amazed by the sight and then has a conversation with her father, and he tells that he is sorry for the loss of her brothers, but loves her dearly and prays for her every day.

Hopefully life will stay good for Laila, and she won't have to deal with much tragedy, unlike Mariam.

"On the Waterfront" Review

Hamish Weerasinghe Weerasinghe 1

Burgess

Hour 3

11/28/07

“On The Waterfront Review”

Elia Kazan did an immaculate job creating the film, “On the Waterfront.” In my opinion “On the Waterfront” was a great, effective film. The director did a good job organizing the film to flow and get all of its messages through in an effective way. For example the director did a great job with all of the little things, like camera angles and use of music. I also thought the director chose an outstanding cast, which is important, since the actors made the story more believable since they all fitted into their roles. The story was very inspiring as well, it sent a message to the viewer that it is more important to right thing, even when you are pressured not to by your peers.
Some literary aspects in the film that were expressed well, included: the setting, themes, and symbols. The main setting of the film was obviously, the “waterfront.” All of the conflict in the town revolves around the waterfront. Johnny Friendly’s mob has a monopoly over the waterfront. Friendly picks who gets to work, and the workers make some money, but Friendly’s mob gets all the big money from the work that is done. Most people don’t have connections to members of the mob, and usually don’t get to work and go home with no money. Not until the end of the film when Terry becomes leader of the water front, do more people get to work. The “waterfront” symbolizes the power and how corrupt the mob is. Other symbols include Joey’s jacket, the priest’s outfit and
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Edie’s bright blonde hair. Everyone that posses Joey’s jacket always ended up getting in deep trouble with the mob. Joey and Kayo Dugan were murdered by the mob and Terry was severely beaten up by the mob, after he was given Joey’s jacket by the mob. The priest’s outfit highlights his presence, and represents “order” in the town, for example he spends time organizing meetings against the mob. Edie’s bright blonde hair also highlights her presence, which is necessary since she is the only woman really involved in the film and it also represents her innocence; she only wants the best for her family and doesn’t wish harm to anyone, just justice for Joey’s murder. There are also many themes in this magnificent film. For example the theme that you should always stick to your morals and not give into peer pressure is present in this film. Terry makes the decision to testify against, even though his peers advise him not to. Another theme that is present in “On the Waterfront” is acting cruel and unjust will come back to haunt you. This is displayed in the film by Johnny Friendly losing his power at the end, after manipulating and even killing some people. The literary aspects played a big role in this film.
The dramatic aspects of “On the Waterfront” were chosen well by the director, Elia Kazan. The main characters were: Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, Karl Malden as Father Barry, Lee J. Cobb as Johnny Friendly, Rod Steiger as Charley Malloy, Eva Marie Saint as Edie Doyle, John Hamilton as Pop Doyle, Leif Erikson as Glover and Pat Henning as Kayo Dugan. I thought that Kazan picked very good actors, since everyone looked and acted their parts as I imagined them. Three actors that stood out were: Terry Malloy, Father Barry and Johnny Friendly. Marlon Brando did an exceptional job playing the role of the protagonist, Terry Malloy. He fit his role well cause he talked
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with a slurred speech, which is typical with professional boxers, since they suffer from various head injuries in their careers. Also, all his emotions were believable. Karl Madden played the role of Father Barry, and also made it believable by wearing a priest outfit the whole time and persuading people to do the right thing and form the union against the mob. Lee J. Cobb did a great job playing the head of the mob, Johnny Friendly. He looked like a business men, didn’t have much of a heart and acted with a temper, which made his role believable. I thought that the costumes and props played a pretty important role in the film as well. Father Barry’s priest outfit made his role more believable and represented the “order” of the waterfront. A prop that was used importantly was Joey Doyle’s jacket. Everyone who possessed it got into trouble with the mob. Both Joey and Kayo Dugan were killed wearing it and soon after Edie gave it to Terry, he was beaten up by mob members, for “singing.” I believe that the dramatic aspects of the film are the most important and Elia Kazan did a great job handling them.
The main cinematic elements in this film included Photography (distance and angle of shots), sound and the duration of shots. The duration of shots were used in the sense that longer events involved longer shots and shorter events and more important scenes also had longer shots. Longer shots included the scene of the union against the mob’s meeting and Terry’s famous speech to his brother Charley, in the taxi. An example of a shorter shot is when Pop Doyle encounters Johnny Friendly and pushes him into the water. Photography is important in all films. “On the Waterfront” used all different types of angles and distances. An example of a high angle is the angle of the camera when shown the scene where the boxes “crush” Kayo Dugan. An example of a
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low angle is at the beginning when the guy from the bottom of the apartment is looking at and speaking to a guy on the roof of the apartment. A long shot is shown when the camera is shown from Father Barry’s eyes while he is watching Terry confessing to Edie that he set up Kayo Dugan. One example of a close-up is when the camera zooms in to Edie’s face when she is talking to Terry by the gates, near the waterfront. The sound is used in this film to set the tone and mood. Happy music is played during happy times, like the wedding music while Terry and Edie dance and jumpy, fast music is played after Terry finds out that Charley was killed and is angry. Although the viewer tends pay lesser attention to the cinematic aspects, than the literary and dramatic aspect, they are still important in making a film.
The film “On the Waterfront” and the book, “All My Sons” share many similarities and obviously some differences. Both of them deal with ethical dilemmas. However, in “All My Sons” Joe Keller makes the unethical decision to sell the cracked cylinder heads, which leads to the deaths of 21 pilots, where as Terry Malloy in “On the Waterfront” prevents future deaths from occurring and makes the ethical decision, by testifying against Johnny Friendly and the mob. Both had ethical decisions, but the characters dealt with them differently. Also, Joe Keller was scolded by society for his unethical decision, and Terry Malloy was in a sense worshipped for his ethical decision. Another similarity between the film and novel are the protagonists both meant good to society. Terry Malloy showed this by testifying against the mob, and ended up improving the conditions on the waterfront. Chris Keller meant good throughout “All My Sons” and this was shown by him not wanting to spend what he believed was “dirty”
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money that his father made by selling the cracked cylinder heads. Maybe the plots of this great film and book resembled each other a little since Arthur Miller and Elia Kazan were once good friends.
I thought that “On the Waterfront” was an outstanding film and would recommend it to anyone above the age of 12. I would put an age limit, because although it is a great film, I don’t think most kids under the age of 12 would appreciate the film as much as others. I felt that this film was so great because it had all of the pieces to the puzzle, meaning that the film included the literary, dramatic, and cinematic aspects and displayed them exceptionally. I really wish Elia Kazan would continue to make such great films. The literary aspects are the most important and all were great. The plot was very interesting and kept me on my feat, I felt as if I was actually in the movie, and was cheering for Terry to do the right thing. I also thought that all of the characters played their roles well and the setting on the waterfront was also neat. It was also really cool how there were symbols involved, like Joey’s jacket and the priest’s outfit. “On the Waterfront” was a great film in all aspects and therefore I have to give it 5 stars and two thumbs up!

Week 3 Post A

prostrated: lying face down on the ground, as in token of humility, submission, or adoration.



protuding: to thrust over; cause to project.



Appeals:

1. "I thought about you all the time. I used to pray that you'd live to be a hundred years old. I didn't know. I didn't know that you were ashamed of me.{...}You didn't even have the decency to give me the time to say good-bye to Mullah Faizullah" (50). This is an emotional appeal in the sense that Mariam finally stood up to Jalil for being "ashamed" of her, he really made him guilty for doing this.
2. "And she felt for the first time a kinship with her husband. She told herself that they would make good companions after all" (77). This appeals to the sense that it is suprising that Mariam feels good about her marriage. I mean she was forced to marry a man that is almost three times her age and it is weird to think that she could actually see him as a husban.
3. "Now you know what you've given me in this marriage, Bad food, and nothing else" (94). This is an emotional appeal. Even though Mariam worked very hard and cooked meals very well, she was treated poorly, by Rasheed, her husband. He couldn't get over the fact that she couldn't deliver a baby, to replace his son that died,but that was no reason for him to beat and disrespect her.

Quote:

"His powerful hands clasped her jaw. He shove two fingers into her mouth and pried it open, then forced the cold, hard pebbles into it. Mariam struggled against him, mumbling, but he kept pushing the pebbles in, his upper liip curled in sneer" (94).

Significance

The significance of this quote is to show how hostile her heavy-tempered husband is, and is also significant, because Part I is wrapped up by this event. Mariam's life really couldn't get any worse, her father, Jalil betrayed her, Nana died, she is away from Mullah Faizullah, and she was forced to marry a forty year old jerk, while she is only fifteen.

Theme

Sometimes a person's place in society is out of their hands.

Week 3 Post B

Dear, Khaled Hosseini:

Your novel "A Thousand Splendid Suns" has been great so far. In fact, the only reason I put the book down, was because I finished Part II. I can't belive how hard life can be for some young afghan girls, in Mariam's situation. I wouldn't know how to deal with that. Losing your mom, finding out the person you most admire has betrayed you, losing your best friend and the only person you can trust and being forced to marry a person three times your age, when your only 15. I can't belive this actually happens in real life. The saddest part is that Mariam doesn't deserve any of this, all of this misfortune happened to her not because of anything she did. I really hope that conditions improve during part two.

I know that you grew up in Afghanistan, did you see this happen a lot? When did you move to the U.S.? Did you have to participate in a fixed marriage? I would ask you all these questions if I had a chance to interview you, which would be quite fascinating.

Week 2 Post B

Mariam Jo's life is going straight downhill at this part of the book and the sad part about it is she didn't really do anything that wrong to deserve all of this. All she did was go into the city to visit her father and everything went wrong after that, just like her mother had warned her. However, even I, from my viewpoint believed that it was ridiculous of Nana to ask her not to go to the cinema with her father. Nana told Mariam that if she left her, not only would Nana be killed but Mariam's live would become "worthless." Mariam thought that her crazy mother was just making another crazy remark, however Nana's crazy remarks turned to reality when she left for Herat. Mariam went to Jahil's mansion and was told by his butler that Jahil was out on a business trip. Mariam then walked into Jahil's magnificent garden, but to her utter dissapointment she saw Jahil looking out of his bedroom window. He had lied and betrayed Mariam. He told her that he would bring her to the cinema and didn't show up and even worse prettended like he was on a business trip and left her on the cold street for the night. Mariam was heartbroken by this. Later, the butler brought her back to Nana's house and discovered Nana hanging from the end of a rope. Mariam Jo didn't break into tears until she was resting her head on Mullah's lap, who is the priest of the town, which is the only person that Mariam Jo can now trust. Mariam was then asked by Jahil to stay at his house and she reluctantly accepted, since it was her only choice. And even more to her despair they have found her a suitor, and she is only 13. I hope she is able to get through all of this and start a better live, which she deserves.

Week 2 Post A

Vocab:



forlorn: unhappy or miserable, as in feeling, condition, or appearance.



minarets: A tall slender tower attached to a mosque, having one or more projecting balconies from which a muezzin summons the people to prayer.



Appeals:



1. "We have some very good news for you{..}You have a suitor"(43).
This is a logical appeal because Mariam is being told by Jalil that she has a suitor, which is an arranged husband for her. This is terrible of Jalil to do this to her, especially since it is right after her mother, Nana died.

2. "Mariam kept thinking of his face in the upstairs window. He let her sleep on the street. On the street"(33). This is an emotional appeal since Mariam is so upset that Jalil let her down. He told her that he would take her to the cinema and lied, which Mariam thought he would never do.

3. "Mariam caught a glimpse of what was beneath the tree: the straight-backed chair, overturned. The rope dropping from a high branch. Nana dangling at the end of it"(34).
Mariam had just found her mom dead after leaving her to go visit her dad, Jalil. Nana told Mariam that she would die if Mariam left, so this must have been especially hard on Mariam because she believs that it was her fault.

Quote:

"For the first time, Mariam could hear him with Nana's ears. She could hear so clearly now the insincerity that had always lurked beneath, the hollow, false assurances. She could not bring herself to look at him"(36).

Mariam always thought that her mom, Nana was crazy and that Jalil was like an angel, very caring towards Mariam and warm-hearted. However, it was Nana who really cared for Mariam. Nana had told Mariam that if she left her that she would be killed and she was. Also, Jalil promised to meet Mariam to bring her to the cinema and left her in the cold street alone, without ever showing up.

Theme:

Never judge a book by its cover.

Week 1 Post A

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

porcelain: a strong vitreous, translucent ceramic material, biscuit-fired at a low temperature, the glaze then fired at a very high temperature.

chrysanthemums: a showy radiate flower head.

Appeals:

1. "It was this last piece that slipped from Mariam's fingers, that fell to the wooden floorboards of the kolba and shattered. When Nana saw the bowl, her face flushed red and her upper lip shivered, and her eyes, both the lazy one and the good, settled on Mariam in a flat, unblinking way, Nana looked so mad that Mariam feared the jinn would enter her mother's body again" (1). In this emotional appeal, Mariam's relationship with her mom is displayed. She doesn't seem to get along with her mom, since she is constantly criticized by her.
2. "Nana had been one of the housekeepers. Until her belly began to swell"(6). This logical appeal describes Mariam's situation. She was left to live with her mom in poverty, even though her dad is an extremely wealthy business man. Her mother was kicked out of her dad's house when she became pregnant with Mariam.
3. "Whenever Jalil talked like this, Mariam would listen with enchantment. She would admire Jalil for his vast and worldly knowledge. She would quiver with pride to have a father who knew such things"(5). This emotional appeal shows how Mariam views her father. Even though he never invites her to live with him, she admires him with great passion. She is always excited to see him and likes him better than Nana.

Quote:

"Rich man telling rich lies. He never took you to any tree. And don't let him charm you. He betrayed us, your beloved father. He cast us out. He cast us out of his big fancy house like we were nothing to him. He did it happily"(5). This quote shows that Mariam's parents don't get along and even though Mariam admires Jalil, he did "betray" Mariam and Nana.

Theme

A theme that is present so far in this novel, is the importance of family

Week 1 Post B

The book I am reading, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" has been fascinating so far and has lived up to its expectations. I feel bad for Mariam jo, the main character, whose mother, Nana, is in poverity and has mental problems and father, Jalil, who is the most affluent business man in Herat. She is forced to live with her mother, since Jalil's other wives ordered her out of the house. Mariam can't stand her mother and is always excited when some one comes to visit. The only two people that come to vistit every week are Jalil, and Mullah Faizullah, who is the town's priest. Although Mariam loves Mullah and is excited when he comes to visit, nothing matches her excitement Mariam has when Jalil comes to visit. Most of the time she won't even sleep the night before, waiting in anticipation for her father to come. He enjoys the stories he tells her aabout his magnificant garden and cinema that he owns. She also enjoys the gifts that he brings her, such as her favorite bracelet. As soon as Jalil leaves Nana goes on about how selfish and arrogant Jalil actually is and how all Mariam gets is stories while his other children get to go to the cinema and enjoy his ice cream, etc. Mariam enjoys Jalil's company, and cherishes the little time she gets to spend away from her mother, Nana.

Week 5 Post B

I am happy for Toby and the fact that he was able to get his head on straight and succeed. However, I was very dissapointed in the beginning of the last section I read, where Toby was hanging out with Chuck and getting into all kinds of trouble. I think that he should have stayed friends with Arthur. It wasn't until Toby had a talk with Fathr Karl, that he began to realize that he needed to get his life together. From then on it was all uphill for him, except for deciding to stay friends with Chuck. He began making good grades and was able to get a full-ride scholarship to Hill. This was a huge accomplishment for him.

In then end of the memoir, Toby plans to unite his whole family back together; his brother, his mother and his father. However, he is still friends with Chuck, and continues drinking. Although that he is not strayed away from important things like school, it is still not a good idea to stay friends. It doesn't really make sense to me, Chuck is a loser and is the main reason for the down fall of Toby's life earlier, right when he had finally decided to improve his life. Over all, I thought that this memoir was pretty good but good have been a little more interesting, since the book was about the same thing happening over and over until the end. Toby would finally get his life together and then get in trouble again.

Week 5 Post A

Vocab:



brooding: preoccupied with depressing or painful memories or thoughts.



frivolity: the state or act of being frivolous(lacking serious purpose).



Appeals:

"Chuck congratulated me when I told him about the scholarship, but I was careful not to let my happiness show too much" (263). This is a logical appeal, which show that even though Toby was excited for getting a scholarship to Hill, he still couldn't share his happiness with his best friend, Chuck, since Chuck was going through tough times.

"I was remembering it. Over $1,300. But it wasn't really the money that made me feel sorry for myself, it was the time" (262). In this emotional appeal, Toby is upset that all the time he put in to saving up so much money was now wasted.

"Look at yourself. What are you doing? Tell me what you think you are doing" (250). In this quote Father Karl is trying to get through to Toby, to get his life back on the right track. He was getting drunk, smoking and hanging out with people that were a bad influence on him.

Quote:

"My wallet was thick with bills which I would lose at cards in one night, but which I then believed would keep me going for months. In a couple of weeks I was leaving for California to be with my father and my brother. Soon afther I got there, my mother would join us. We would all be together again, as we were meant to be" (286). This quote just shows that at the end of this memoir Toby was able to get his life together and his family was finally united together, everything had turned out well, after all the hard times he had gone through.

Theme:

A final theme for this memoir is hard work pays off. Toby was able to get his life together due to all the hard work he put in. An example of his hard work paying off is when he got a full-ride scholarship to Hill.

Week 4 Post B

Toby seems to finally show some signs that he is maturing. He seems to have a better grasp of his life, even though some bad habits of the past have stayed with him, like stealing. He has matured, because he is now hanging out with better kids, like Arthur, who Toby is becoming closer and closer with. Toby trusts Arthur so much, that he tells Arthur about his plan to move somewhere else with the money that he has saved up. Arthur then asks to go with him and Toby reluctantly agrees.

I am not sure whether this whole "plan" is a great idea. It has a pretty good chance of not working out well, since his mom will be worried and probably send the police to search for him, which could obviously turn out badly. However, at least he is putting forth the effort and if he is able to send back to his mother on time, as planned, it will all go well. I am eager to find out about how everything works out in the end of the memoir.

Week 4 Post A

Vocab:

taut:in good order or condition; tidy; neat.

languidly:lacking in vigor or vitality; slack or slow.

Apeals:

"After Kenneth had wolfed down a sandwich, Dwight made the mistake of offering him a drink" (149). In this appeal Dwight accidently makes a bad decision to offer Kenneth a drink, which causes emotions to errupt. Kenneth was offended, and Dwight didn't think it was that big of a deal. Kenneth says, "I'm sure the drug fiend doesn't see the harm in a needle now and than" (149).

"We could all see that Norma didn't love Kenneth" (151). This emotional appeal is significant, since no one could really figure why Norma married and lived with Kenneth, when she clearly didn't "love" him. Everyone wanted her to leave him, but for no apparent reason she wouldn't.

"By the time I started my first year at Concrete High School, I had over eighty dollar squirreled away in the ammunition box. Some of it had been given to me by customers on my paper route, as tips for good service; the rest I'd stolen from other customers" (155). This logical appeal shows that Toby had found a way to save enough money to travel to some place better be able to send for his mom later. His plan could now be executed, since he had the money.

Quote:

"I told no one but Arthur, who kept my secrets even when I betrayed his. He liked the plan. He thought so highly of it that he asked to be included" (156). This quote shows that Toby has finally found a trustworthy friend, who unlike his old ones' isn't up to no good. Arthur and him are so close, that Toby agrees to allow Arthur to come along on his plan to run away.

Theme:

A new theme for this memoir is overcoming hard times. Toby is trying to overcome the rough times he's had, mainly due to the lack of money his mom provided and he is hoping that his "plan" will work out.

400 Blows

I thought that the "400 Blows" was a very fascinating movie. It made you feel what Antoine was going through, in a way that made you feel like as if you were there with Antoine. It kept you rooting for Antoine and excited to find out what his next move would be. I also felt that the movie was interesting, because Antoine had problems, and it isn't really interesting to watch a movie about someone that is perfect. In general, I felt that "400 Blows" was a great movie.

The "400 Blows" is about a boy named Antonie, who is unable to satisfy his parents, and always gets caught getting into trouble, such as when he is caught stealing his father's typewriter. His friend, Rene, is usually the mastermind of their mischevous tasks. It comes to the point where his parents can't take him anymore, so they send Antoine to a "Juvenile Observation Center." At the end of the movie Antoine is found walking escaping from the Observation Center, and arriving safely at the ocean shore. Antoine and his best friend, Rene, are very similar. They both enjoy playing pranks and having fun, and don't really care about the consequences. Antoine's dad is caring yet impatient with Antoine, which is shown when he gives rights to Antoine, to the Observation Center. Antoine's mother is strict and even more impatient with him, and is not forgiving at all. She is always scolding him, except for the short phase whene she was nice to him. She also isn't even at heart a good person, for example she cheats on her husband. The movie takes place in the 1940's in France. One symbol in the movie would include the ocean, which symbolizes freedom, becaus it is where he goes when he is finally free from everything, the Observation Center and his parents.

The director, Francois Truffaut did a great job with the dramatic aspects of this film. The actors were phenomanal, especially Antoine (Jeane-Pierre Leaud), who at such a young age was able to fit his role greatly. He made you believe the emotions that he was going through. I also felt that the actor of the role of Rene (Patrick Auffay) did a great job as well. He was the typical trouble maker, who always had an idea to have some kind of fun, and was also very believable to me as the viewer. One other character that fit their role well was Antoine's mother, Gilberte (Claire Maurier) who fit the typical evil mother. She was glamarous, bossy, cheated on her husband, and just had this swagger that fit her role beautifully. I felt that the director picked the right actors for the right roles, and I have no complains about them. The lighting of the screenplay, seemed to set the mood of Antoine, for example it was always dark when he was home, a place where he didn't like to be and it was light at the end of the movie, when Antoine was happy to be free. It might just be a coincidence, but I personally think that it was done on purpose.

The cinematic aspects of the film were definetly important for the enjoyment of the movie. I thought it was cool how the director had a view from Antoine's eyes as he was spinning in the ride at the fair they went to. This makes you feel as if you were in the ride, with Antoine. The movie mainly uses birds eye views to make the viewers feel as an onlooker of Antoine's life. An example of this is when there is a birds eye view of Antoine in gym class. There is also a freeze frame on Antoine's face at the end of the movie, which I felt was just used to symbolize the end of the movie.

I felt that "400 Blows" was a lot more interesting than "Black Boy." Maybe, because "400 Blows" was a movie, which allowed me to visualize what was going on better. The protagonists of both "400 Blows" and "Black Boy" both had troubles dealing with society and both of them got into some bad habits. For example, Antoine wasn't accepted by his parents, who wanted him to be a good student and stay out of trouble, yet he would always skip class and get into trouble. Simirarily, Richard Wright was never really accepted by society, since he was black, and he was never accepted by most of his relatives. Richard Wright also had some bad habits, like reacting on curiousity, which led to him burning the house down. However, Antoine and Richard from "400 Blows" and "Black Boy" also have fairly different lives. Richard, being black, had to deal with racism,and really wanted to get an education and become an outstanding writer. Whereas, Antoine really could care less about school, and even though he was given the opportunity to receive and education, he would rather go on adventures through France, with his best friend.

I would most definetly recommend "400 Blows" and would give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only thing that I must critique, is the ending. It wasn't a very satisfying ending to me, since I still had questions left about Antoine. Other than that though, I felt the director, François Truffaut did a superb job directing and writing this fascinating film on the life of a troubled youth in France. The viewers that I would recommend this movie to would be a teen to adult audience, since I don't think most children would understand the plot enough, to appreciate this great work.

Week 3 Post B

I was thinking that Toby's life could only improve after him and his mother moved to Seattle, unfortunately things only got worse. Toby is now hanging out with the wrong crowd and his mom went on a date that turned out terribly. When are things going to change for Toby?

I think that Toby should start to get on the right track by focusing on school and hanging out with different a group of friends. Right now, Toby is badly influenced with his friends, and is up to no good. I think that Toby's mom needs to push him harder and keep an eye on him more. I felt that Toby and his mom moving to Seattle was never a good idea in the first place. It seemed like Toby was finally starting to get use to life in Utah. I really hope Toby finds a way to get his life on the right track in the chapters to come.

Week 3 Post A

Vocab:

sepulchral: of or pertaining to burial.

malicious: mischievous in motivation or purpose.

Apeals:

"Unlit cigarettes dangling from the corners of our mouths, eyelids at half mast, we studied ourselves in the mirror"(43). In this quote Toby is describing how him and his friends try to act "cool." It seems to me that Toby and his friends are the type of kids that skip class and pull pranks and are they are also pretty immature.

"I rocked and murmured to her. I was practiced at this and happy doing it, not because she was unhappy but because she needed me, and to be needed made me feel capable"(55). This emotional appeal shows the care that Toby has for his mother. At first I thought that Toby cared for both his mom and dad the same, but now I see that he is a lot more closer to his mom. After his mom came home from a bad date crying, Toby was there to comfort her.

"Our problem was that I wanted a bike and she didn't have enough money to buy me one. She had no money at all"(52). This is a logical appeal and shows the tough times that Toby had to go through in his chilhood. His mom struggles to make ends meet and can't even afford to buy him a bike, which most kids take for granted.

Quote:

"We heard the eggs smack the pavement,boom against the car. This time there was no cry of protest"(47). I chose this quote to show that that Toby and his friend's fun can turn bad quickly. It started out with them throwing eggs onto the street and ended up with them wrecking someone's nice thunderbird and causing chaos throughout the whole neighborhood.

Theme:

I believe that an appropriate theme for this section of the memoir is, happiness is more important than glory(money).

Week 2 Post B

Dear Mr. Tobias Wolf,

I am continuing to enjoy your memoir, as it keeps getting better and better. However, there are many questions that I have, that hopefully will be answered as I continue reading. The main question that I have for you is how did you put up with your mom and her constantly have the two of you move. I mean the first time it was somewhat justified, since you both didn't enjoy life in Florida. But the second time you had to move was only justified by the reason that your mom was wanting to get away from your dad, which she didn't even tell you. Weren't you angered by this, I mean you were finally happy with your life and was settling in, in Utah and then all of a sudden your mom told you that you were moving.

I also wonder whether you will eventually become a "good" person, because at the point i'm at in your book, you are kind of going down hill. First of you lie quite a bit to your mom, then you shot a squirell, when your parents told you specifically not to touch your rifle unless they were supervising you. These to things aren't that bad, but they led to you getting badly influenced by your friends in Seattle. You guys steal cigarettes from Terry Taylor's mom. Not only is stealing bad, but smoking is even worse. I really hope you get your acts together in the next chapters.

Best Regards,

Hamish

Week 2 Post A

Vocab:

• ecstasy: an overpowering emotion or exaltation.
• grotesque: odd or unnatural in shape, appearance, or character; fantastically ugly or absurd; bizarre.

Appeals:

1. '"Now I won't have to go looking for you. Why don't you check your room and make sure I've got everything." "We going somewhere?" "Yes"' (30). This quote is an emotional appeal to show the struggle between Toby's parents. Yet again Toby's mom is taking Toby with her and moving away from her abusive husband, Roy.
2. "One afternoon I pulled the trigger. {...} I had to shoot. I looked up and down the street. It was empty. Nothing moved but a pair of squirrels chasing each other back and forth on the telephone wires" (25). I believe the author used this logical appeal to show how impatient and intrigued he was about guns when he was a kid. He just couldn't resist to stop pretending to shoot things and actually loading up the gun and killing a squirrel. This lack of self-control is similar to that of his father.
3. "We went for the biggest and most pretentious, sneering at ranches and duplexes--anything that smelled of economy" (37). In this quote Toby is describing how him and his mom would go for walks around luxurious neighborhoods looking in awe at the houses. This appeals emotionally, since it shows Toby's as well as his mom's desire to be able to one day live a luxurious lifestyle.

Quote:

"That's a real coincidence, because I was thinking about Phoenix myself. I even got the Phoenix paper. They have lots of opportunities there. Seattle too. What do you think about Seattle" (30)? This quote basically sums up what Toby's childhood was, so far in the book. This is the second time that Toby and his mom have moved. Toby's mom claims the reason that they leave is to go to somewhere where there is more opportunities, however Toby, as well as me as the reader believe it is in order to get away from her abusive husband, Roy.

Theme:

Another theme present in this memoir is the struggle to find happiness. This theme is displayed throughout the book, when Toby's mom constantly decides to move in hope to find hapiness. Hapiness in the sense of getting a higher income as well as getting away from her abusive husband.

Week 1 Post B

Dear Mr. Tobias Wolff,

Your memoir, "This Boy's Life" has so far been a fascinating read and has kept me eager to keep reading on and on. It must be tough for you to deal with the problems between your mom and dad. It is also interesting that you were close to both of them. A quote that does a pretty good job of explaining this situation is "My mother didn't tell me what went on between her and Roy, the threats and occasional brutality with which he held her in place. She was the same as ever with me, full of schemes and quick to laugh. Only now and then there came a night when she couldn't do anything but sit and cry, and then I comforted her, but I never knew her reasons" (14). This shows that although you were aware of the occasional beatings you didn't know what was wrong with the relationship your parents had, and you were close to your mom, but also enjoyed the company of your father. "He always seemed glad to see me. If I was lucky he would put a couple of rifles in his Jeep and we'd drive into the desert to shoot at cans and look for ore" (13). It is also tough for me to tell whether or not your father is truly a bad person. I mean he beats your mom and didn't give any money to the two of you even though the judge ordered him to. Yet, if he didn't care and love you and your mom he wouldn't have come back to both of you. What is your true personal opinion on your father? Well I'll leave it at this for now, and I look forward to your quick response. After all you write to your pen pal twice a week when your only suppose to write once a month.

Best Regards,

Hamish

Week 1 Post A

"This Boy's Life" by Tobias Wolf

Vocab:

ornery(6): ugly and unpleasant is disposition or temper.

taciturn(8): inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.

Appeals:

1. "I didn't come to Utah to be the same boy I'd been before" (pg.8). This shows that the author wasn't happy with his life and was excited to start over when he moved to Utah. This appeals to me emotionally, because you feel for him, since he didn't have such a good life back in Florida.
2. "It was 1955 and we were driving from Florida to Utah, to get away from a man my mother was afraid of and to get rich on uranium" (4). This is logical appeal and I think it is interesting that Tobias Wolf (the author) said "the man my mother was afraid of" which refers to is dad, but it doesn't say that he is afraid of him.
3. "I also wrote long letters to my pen pal in Phoenix, Arizona. Her name was Alice. My class had begun exchanging letters with her class since school began. We were supposed to write once a month but I wrote at least once a week, ten, twelve, fifteen pages at a time" (pg.13). This shows that Toby is lonely and needs some one to talk to, so in response he writes many letters to his pen pal.

Quote:

"He always seemed glad to see me. If I was lucky he would put a couple of rifles in his Jeep and we'd drive into the desert to shoot at cans and look for ore. He'd caught the uranium bug from my mother" (pg.13). It seems that Toby is a little torn between his father and his mother. He enjoys spending time with both of them, however Toby's dad can get abusive towards his mother. This definetely must have been tough for Toby to deal with.

Theme:

The main theme that I find in the book, "This Boy's Life" thus far is moving on from tough times. Toby wants to have an improved life when he moves away from Florida, this is shown in the quote that i used for my first appeal. He regains confidence when him and his mom move to Utah and hopes to become a successful individual and believes he doesn't need any help from anyone. I think that it is important for him to have goals in life if he plans to be successful.