Looking For Alaska: Following the Leader

Looking for Alaska: By John Greene, Alaska is the String that Holds Everyone Together

          In Looking For Alaska, by John Greene, after Alaska dies I started to realize that everyone began losing touch and their friendships were strained. I also started to see how Alaska had brought them together by being their friend and now, after dying, she is tearing them apart by not being there. I saw this in Pudge and the Colonel's friendship mostly. But also it really showed how to Pudge, Colonel, Lara, and Takumi Alaska is more than their leader. She is a huge part of them. Without Alaska, they wouldn't have  the same friendships, relationships, and at least for Pudge they wouldn't be smoking or drinking, and all of these things shape who they are. So when you put it that way, Alaska shapes who they are just by being there, yet while not even trying to. 

          In the book, Colonel and Pudge are best friends and roommates, yet at the very beginning its not like that. At first, they talk except you can tell they're not really friends and don't have that much in common. Then they go to Alaska's room and Pudge is introduced to Alaska. This doesn't change they're friendship immideatly, but I began to notice a slight change of them becoming closer and closer, and their relationship goes from friendly roommates, to friends. Once they all become close to Alaska they really start to talk to each other, like them being friends with Alaska also means they can be friends with each other. Also, when Alaska dies Pudge and Colonel sort of fall out, because Alaskas not there and she really was what connected them. Although they're still friends, they constantly snap at each other and have almost no patience. For example, on page 161 Pudge says one thing and Colonel says, "Just stop worrying about your goddamned self for one day and worry about your dead friend." which also shows me how without Alaska they're friendship just isn't as strong because its like she subconciously controlled it. Also, Lara and Pudge start going out in the middle of the book. At the beginning of the book Alaska introduces them at McDonalds and it's obvious they like each other, yet no one says anything. Later in the book, Alaska sets them up, and they go out. To me, it seemed like that was Alaska 'giving them her permission.' I don't think Alaska tries to but without trying to she really does control everyones relationships, and does more than just lead ther friends, she is like a part of them.

          Also, I think that everyone lets Alaska lead them, because they're at boarding school without parents, so it's easier to let her lead them then have to lead themselves. For example, on page 80 Pudge is talking to Alaska and doesn't know wat to do about Thanksgiving so he just asks Alaska, "What am I going to do?" and when she says,"You'll spend Thanksgiving with me, silly. Here." Thats just what Pudge does because he doesn't know what to do, so he just lets Alaska know what he should do. I don't think that this is at all a bad thing, but I also think Alaska may know whats best when making some decisions, like the conversation above that doesn't really matter so it's okay that he's following Alaska, but I don't know if when faced with hard choices Alaska would make the right decision. Also, I think that I understand that everyone needs someone to lean on and he's in love with Alaska but when faced with harder decisions Alaska can crack under pressure, and so maybe he shouldn't be going to her.

          In the book, Looking for Alaska, Alaska is clearly the leader. She affects how her friends act, the choices they make, and the company they keep. I also saw how Pudge tends to lean on her for support, and I know that without parents around anymore he obviously needs someone, but I don't really think Alaska is the right choice.

Plain Truth: Reading Response 7

Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult: Ellie Knows What Really Happened

          In the book Plain Truth, by Jodi Picoult, I think that Ellie knows that Katie did give birth to the baby, and is unsure of whether or not she killed it, but still wants to defend her, this is because she understands what its like to feel trapped, as Katie is by her Amish father and family, because of her rocky relationship with her husband. In their relationship I know that Ellie wants to leave, and yet her husband seems to make her feel forced into staying, and makes her keep coming back, so she really knows how Katie is controlled and truly does not want to disappoint them or be put under bann by her family. 

          I think that Ellie definitely knows that Katie, did have the baby and is lying about it. On page 44, she has just met Katie and is telling her what they are going to do in the courtroom, and all Katie will say back to her is, "I didn't have a baby." Ellie tells her they are going to have to find a loophole in the evidence, and also tells her that a hospital and all the police do think she had a baby. She begins to get frustrated with Katie and I think that how she reacts to Katie tells me she knows Katie did have the baby. When she says they have to find a loophole for the second time, it is because she knows if they cannot find one it doesn't matter what Katie or she says, because even at the very beginning she knows she has nothing to fight the opposing counsel with. Also, she knows that finding some sort of loophole is the last resort and they are already falling back on it because even though the opposing counsel has no certain evidence Katie is guilty, they have no evidence at all that she is innocent and Ellie understands this.

          Also, I think that she both understands why Katie is lying and also understands hat she is guilty further because she knows exactly why she would lie. As I mentioned earlier Ellie's husband  Stephen is controlling, and in their marriage what he says, goes. For example, Ellie wants to have a baby and sends time looking for sperm donors and yet Stephen doesn't want to and won't even allow Ellie to discuss it with him. I think that Katie is in a similar situation. Being Amish men have much more power than women so Katie has to do what they say, and similarly not have a child. Because of this I think Ellie has a greater understanding of the trial. I think that if she thought Katie had no reason to lie she would be much more inclined to believe her, and yet because she knows Katie has a reason to lie, it is easier for her to know that she is lying than it is for other people, such as Aunt Leda. 

       I think that I and other people can not relate as closely to Katie, but I do understand why she is lying and her motive. She is lying because she wants to please other people, and not get in trouble and have people ashamed of or disappointed in her. When put this simply, I think that it is much easier to understand and is helpful in getting closer to the character, and understanding their logic. I know that I know how Katie feels because when you know you have people upset with you, it can and will force some people to lie. In conclusion, I think that Ellie knows Katie is lying but still wants to defend her because she understands her, and in addition I think that I know and can relate to Katies motive behind lying.

Hiding From The Truth, My Sisters Keeper`

My Sisters Keeper, by Jodi Picoult: Hiding From The Truth

          While reading the book My Sisters Keeper, by Jodi Picoult I started to see theme where characters were hiding from the truths that were around them. I saw it in Sara, during the trial, and in Julia, when she starts to realize she loves Campbell again but doesn't want to, and lastly in Anna, when one moment she wants to go through with the trial and then as soon as she sees Kate she no longer does. I think that the idea of 'hiding from the truth' is something humans do naturally when something bad comes up, or a harsh reality kicks in, or something you don't want to happen, happens. I think that the characters are going through problems with similar ideas and find it easier to ignore iit that truly confront it, full on.

          During the trial, from pages 295 to 297, Campbell lists all the medical procedures Anna has undergone and also all the side affects or problems that could have occured in going through them. He also states blankly that Anna was born to live her life like this and genetically conceived simply to help Kate. The entire time Sara is trying to take what Campbell says and state it in different ways, to make it seem less harsh and true, and more harmless. For example, he says, "you and your husband decide to conceive a child who would be genetically programmed to be an organ donor for Kate, so that she could be cured?" This is definatly the truth and yet Sara tries to cover it up by saying,"Not the word I would choose, but that was the story behind Anna's conception" As if she id trying to play it down as though thats not exactly or truly what happened.  I think that this shows that if Sara had known for sure she had did the right thing, she would have no objections and let Campbell tell the court exactly what happened. Also,  the fact that she knows she made a mistake, but is trying to cover it up, to me shows her trying to hide from the truth.

          I also saw a the character Julia trying to hide from the truth. She had been in love with Campbell in high school, and they hen parted ways messily with Julia promising she would never fall back in love with him. They are brought together again through the trial and Julia is trying so hard to act as though she doesn't love him, yet deep down I think she does. On page 253 Anna asks Julia if she "thinks Campbell is cute?" Julia responds by basically freaking out and saying "What?" she then says "I could see where some women... might find him attractive." She is very jumpy and nervous around this topic because she doesn't want to say yes, and finally admit it to herself, or say no, because she and Anna both know thats not the truth. Also, on page 278 Campbell asks Julia to go out to dinner with him, even if its only because they need to talk about the trial. Julia panics and doesn't want to go. I think that she doesn't want to because if she does she knows she can no longer hide from the fact that she's in love with him. I think that the character Julia is another example of the theme of trying to hide from the truth.

         Lastly, I think that Anna is trying to hide from the reality that even though going through the trial is best for her it will kill Kate and make her mother incredibly disappointed in her. For example, Anna always tells Julia and Campbell that she wants to go through with the trial and is confident in her answer. Then later on, whenever she enters the hospital and is with Kate of her Mom she pretends that she's not going to go through with the trial, so that she can hide from the sadness and that will come from admitting the truth to them. 

          I think that in the book My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult one theme in many of the characters and conflicts is people hiding from the truth, or what they're scared will happen. I saw this mainly in the characters Sara and Anna Fitzgerald and Julia, Anna's Guardian Ad Litem in the courtroom, and the relationships in the Fitzgerald family and between Julia and Campbell.

19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Reading Response 5: 19 Minutes, by Jodi Picoult

          While reading the book 19 Minutes, by Jodi Picoult I am beginning to think that maybe Josie can remember if she tries, she just doesn't want to. I noticed how she was reacting whenever people mentioned the trial or the shooting, how opposed she was to even talk about whatever happened on the day of the shooting, and the fact that she becomes uncomfortable, and a little sad, but mostly just uncomfortable around the topic of the trial.  Then, I also began to think about why would Josie lie about remembering the shooting, and pretend she didn't?

         I began to think that Josie could remember the shooting if she tried to, but doesn't want to, when she was talking to her mom about the trial. Her mom, Alex, began trying to talk about it  and Josie immediately curled up on her bed and told her mom she was tired and didn't want to talk. This would normally not be strange with Josie and Alex because their relationship is not very tightly knit, except recently Josie and Alex had been talking a lot more about there feelings, making it strange that Josie wouldn't talk to Alex about the shooting. Also, this shows me that Josie would rather avoid the topic, which is strange because you'd think that maybe it would help her heal and get better, and made me wonder why isn't she talking about the shooting? Another thing is that Josie is a little less sad and more uncomfortable, which I think shows that she may be lying about not being able to remember the shooting and is just acting strange because she knows that she is lying and possibly feels a little bit guilty.

          After it began to become clear to me that Josie was most likely not trying to remember, or at this point, maybe even could clearly remember what had happened, why would she pretend she didn't. I think that if Josie simply did not want to remember she may have lied because she was once friends with Peter and always felt bad about his being bullied, she may not have wanted to have to live with picturing him shooting and killing her friends and the people she loved. I also think that she could have not wanted to have to be forced to relive the day her boyfriend died before her eyes and re experience that nightmare. I also think that if Josie does remember clearly, I think she may lie because maybe while she and Matt, her boyfriend, were in the locker room she believes that if she had acted differently she could have saved Matt and is worried that people would blame her, and also that she might blame herself.

          In the book 19 Minutes, I think that Josie either does not want to remember what happened, or does remember and is pretending not to. I made this conclusions based of of her actions towards other characters and backed it up with reasons of why she would llie to everyone about remembering the shooting.

Am I Blue? 'Guilt By Assosiation'

Am I Blue? by Bruce Coville : Guilt and Embarrassment

          In Class we have been reading the short story 'Am I Blue' by Bruce Coville and analyzing it. In the story Melvin, the fairy godfather, asks Vince if he's feeling 'guilt by association' at being around him. Throughout the story I began to think that that idea really is one that is major theme in the story. At the beginning I only saw it in Vince, but as I read it I began to see it in almost everyone, from people mentioned only once, to huge characters in the story. Even more, I began to realize that this theme is huge in real life, not just through people being gay, but about a lot of things.

          I think that the main character Vincent really shows the idea of being embarrassed or guilty through association and especially when he is around Melvin. On page five, Vince shows this when he and Melvin are walking towards the cafe. He asks Melvin to stop walking 'so swishy' and later he snaps at Melvin to stop calling him honey. I think that Vince acts like this because he doesn't want people to see him with Melvin like that, because he thinks people will assume that because Melvin is gay, Vince must be and he feels guilty being caught walking with Melvin. Then, later, on page eight Melvin winks at a college boy in the cafe and Vince yells at him to stop. Also, on page eleven while Melvin is giving Vince 'gaydar' he touches Vince's eyelids. Vince's 'cheeks burn' and he wonders if anyone else has seen. I think that to me this shows that Vince is embarrassed, because he tells Melvin its not because he feels guilty to be around Melvin its because he doesn't want to get beaten up, and I think he's lying because he acts really strange and awkward around Melvin and always tells him to stop when he's 'acting gay.' Also, I think that Vince is worried that if he's with a gay guy people will naturally assume that he is gay to, which he has always been embarrassed about.  Lastly, all the times I mentioned throughout the story show Vince being ashamed, and as if he is trying to hide from the idea that he or anyone with him is gay.
          Also, I saw this theme in the other characters, whether they were mentioned once, or large characters in the story. First of all, Butch Carrigan, who bullies Vince throughout the story and then at the end is discovered by Melvin to be gay. I think that this shows that he was so embarrassed to be gay that he tormented all of the gay kids so that kids would get the idea that he was a homophobe, and certainly not gay himself. Also, Vince mentions the man who runs the grocery store is married with kids and yet he turned blue when Vince had the gaydar, and I thought that he relates to Butch, where he is willing to do anything, and go to incredible heights, so that no one would find out  that he is gay. Lastly, the congressman who was always saying offensive things about gay people on television and publicly displaying himself as a homophobe because he is so ashamed and guilty that he is gay. These are all examples of characters in the book that feel guilty, or ashamed of the fact that they are gay.
         Lastly, I think that the idea I've been talking about of people feeling guilty or embarrassed to be associated with something is huge in everyones life. It can show in the way it does in this story, the idea off hiding that you're gay, or it can show in much smaller, or bigger ways. In other books I have read it shows as being embarrassed or ashamed of your religion, your race, your class and many other social qualities. On the other hand it can be as simple as an embarrassing parent, or more in general its qualities that could set you apart from other people and make you different that people are usually ashamed of in our society.
          In conclusion, I think that the idea of 'guilt by association', as Melvin puts it, is not only huge in this story or in many other books, but its also huge in many peoples lives and always has been. While writing this I realized that because of the way our society is built, usually the qualities that cause people to be embarrassed or ashamed are the qualities that make you different, or could set you apart from anybody and everybody else.

The Importance of the Peach Blossoms

          While we were reading the Drummer Boy of Shiloh, by Ray Bradbury, in class we brought up how much the peach tree and the peach blossoms kept on appearing. Even the first time I read the story they still stuck out to me. I knew that they meant something deeper than just being some peach blossoms and a peach tree. The author wouldn't have brought then back so many times if they hadn't been important. When I read the story again, I was looking out for them. I realized they appeared really, only in the most important parts of the book, and so I begin to analyze 'what they really meant' each time they were mentioned.
          The first time the peach blossoms are mentioned, is actually the first sentence of the story. The line is, "In the April night, more than once, blossoms fell from the orchard trees and lighted with rustling taps on the drumhead. At midnight a peach stone left miraculously on a branch trough winter, flicked by a bird fell swift and unseen..." In the next few sentences they introduce the main character, Joby who is the drummer boy in the Battle of Shiloh and they explain the fact that the men in the army are scared and waiting for battle. I think that the idea behind this mention of the peach blossoms, is how in such a harsh time where boys are forced to become men, awaiting possibly death, life can just continue for anything and anyone else. Like, the birds only a few feet away continue on ignorant to such hardships. I thought that this brought a light to the severity and reality of war, and this situation.
          Also, the next time the peach blossoms and the peach trees are mentioned is when Joby is flicked by a peach blossom. Right before this, Joby was crying about how he probably wouldn't make it through the battle with no weapon, even no protection, whereas the oter boys are scared but also wanting to be hero's and more confident. In our minds, whether or not we think about it, I think the idea of peach blossoms, or even blossoms in general, would be considered 'light' and 'happy' and certainly nothing relating to war and death. I think that the peach blossom shows the idea of the innocence and youth held by all of the boys no matter how grown up they've been forced to become. right after this the general calls Joby a 'boy' which because I was thinking of the innocence really stood out to me as further proof of the real idea of what the soldiers are.
          Lastly, the peach blossoms are mentioned in the last line. This is right after Joby has begun to accept that he may die in battle but either way he will charge into the battlefield giving everything to his army no matter what the cost. First, it stuck out to me that Ray Bradbury would close the story with the peach blossoms. He would obviously not do so unless it was important. I thought that they were supposed to have an effect of finality which, really, is what I got from reading that last line. I thought that not only does the idea of peach blossoms seem light and happy, but really just calm and peaceful. It gives you a sense that everything's going to be okay. When Joby falls asleep then I think that that idea of everything being okay and finality is how he appears to feel.
           All of these mentions of peach blossoms in the story, show me that they are really metaphorical and deep, which leads me to the fact that they obviously are important. To me they were almost like clues, they give you a little idea of whats really going on, without directly telling you, and leave you to really think about the rest.

Reading Response 2: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Reading Response 2: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer.

By Maddy Stutt 809

         In the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, the main character Oskar Schell always follows his parents rules, until he finds an envelope with the word black written on it and a key inside. After that, he lies to his mom and continually sneaks out to try and find the true meaning of the key and possibly its owner and where it leads to. At first it wasn't clear to me why it meant so much to him that he answered all the questions brought with the key, and I have begun to realize that it is entirely about different aspects of his father

          In the book, Oskars father, Thomas Schell is killed in the World Trade Center. Before he died, he called home to speak to Oskar or his mother many times while Oskar was home alone. Oskar never picked up, and I think that Oskar blames himself for him fathers death imagining that if he had picked up his father would be alive. Later, Oskar finds the key in his fathers pocket in his closet. I think that one reason that the key means so much to him is that he thinks that the owes it to his Dad to solve the puzzle and its as though he may be able to be at peace with himself and feel less guilt after he finds it. I think that that Oskars fathers death is one aspect of his father that makes the key very important to him.

        I think that another aspect of Thomas Schell that makes the key so important are the stories that he used to tell Oskar before he went to bed. This is because he was always challenging Oskar and giving him mysteries to solve, and Oskar was in the middle of a huge mystery/story Thomas had told Oskar about. It was about a supposed sixth borough of New York City that Oskar wanted to find and learn about through clues from his dad. I think that Oskar thinks that the key may be one of those clues or may be related to another challenge from his dad. The time they spent together before Oskar fell asleep made the two incredibly close and meant a lot to Oskar and that's another reason why finding the story behind the key is so important to him.

        Lastly, I think that Oskars father's faith in Oskar is another important reason why learning about the key is so important to Oskar. Thomas Schell was a jeweler, and he always was telling Oskar, who wanted to be just like him, that he was too smart and special to do something like that, and that Oskar could achieve greater things. At the time Oskar never believed him, but I think that after his father dies Oskar looks back and sees how far his father thought he could go. Oskar thinks that by not proving he can figure out even the most complicated mysterys he is letting his father down as a person and this keeps him moving and makes it so crucial that he figures this out.

        I think that the reason learning about the key, whether or not it means lying to his mother, is so important to Oskar because of his father. I think that it relates to his fathers death, the stories he used to tell Oskar about, and his faith in Oskar.